I love taking pictures of animals; they are cute, cuddly and if the pictures are just right they can almost have a human quality to them.

I am not alone in my passion. A lot of people love taking pictures of their pets and then posting them on the internet. But most of these pictures kind of end up looking all the same. Most people take pictures of their pets from the eye-perspective, which means that the photographer is standing up and pointing the camera down. This is the usual point of view that people experience so the photos end up looking ordinary.

If you want a photo that is fun and exciting then move lower and a little bit closer to your subject. Get down on their level and take a picture from the ground. This is called the ground view perspective.

Seeing the world from your pet’s point of view can create some dynamic pictures that will amaze your friends. This is also a great technique for photographing babies and children.

What is interesting about the ground-view perspective is that it doesn’t have to always be on the ground. The ground-view is more about being in line with some sort of platform. My picture of my two cats is a great example of a ground-view perspective and I didn’t have to get very low or dirty to capture this perfect image.

Moving close to the bed and shooting almost parallel with the sheets creates the illusion of the ground. I also like getting closer to my subject as it makes them more pronounced. The white cat looks massive compared to the black one in the background. In reality they are almost the same size (the white and grey is just a little bit larger and older).

The only thing I don’t like about my example is that my black cat blends into the background. I could have alleviated that problem by moving the camera higher but then I would have lost the ground view perspective. The only thing we see is the reflection of flash in his eyes and then the dim outline of his ears and face.

Another great example of easily creating the illusion of ground-view perspective is by taking a picture of someone who is standing on a stage. You are standing comfortable on the ground and the camera is almost at your eye-level; because the stage is at the same level, the subject on the stage will appear a little bit skewed because of the perspective.

It doesn’t take much to change your perspective but it can make a big difference in the types of photos you take. In fact the next time you are in a bad mood or feeling a little stressed, get down on the ground and play with your pets. At the same time to can snap a few pictures and practice your ground-view technique.

According to many therapists, taking a few minutes to play with your pet can help alleviate your stress and improve your mood.