In-Lecture Exercise D

In this week's lecture about composing compositions, we were tasked to use our phone cameras, choose a subject and shoot in various shot sizes and camera angles. Although it was easier to use a non-living object as a subject, I wanted to play around with shooting reaction shots as well; thus, I decided to use this (in my opinion) extremely cute cat as the subject.

Shot 1: Mid Shot

Mid shot of the cat

In this midshot, I positioned the cat on an eye-level so that this photograph would be a fairly neutral shot to introduce the subject. I think this shot allows the audience to have an overall sense of what the subject looks like the entirety of the cat's body is shown in the shot. Moreover, the shot is close enough (compared to a long shot) for the audience to be able to view the details of the subject (i.e. the texture of the fur and etc). 

Shot 2: Close Up Shot

Close up shot of the cat

Here, I tried to get a closer shot of the subject on an eye-level. This allows the shot to remain neutral (neither superior nor inferior, like in high angle and low angle shots). Although it is not necessary for a subject to be looking into the camera in order for it to be considered eye-level, I wanted the cat's eyes to look directly into the lens to further mimic how we see people in real life — our eye line connecting with theirs on the same level. 

This makes the shot more interesting because cats are rarely photographed on an eye-level as we usually view them in high angle shots (with us, humans as more superior and the subject, animals as inferior). In a sense, this shot breaks the boundaries between the audience and the subject and almost humanizes the cat. It bridges the gap between the two so that the audience can begin to see the subject on an equal plane, at eye level.

Shot 3: Extreme Close Up Shot

Extreme close up shot of the cat

Zooming in closer, this extreme close up shot frames the subject even closer to bring emphasis on the facial features of the cat. This shot is intense and detailed, yet at the same time, it lacks details. 

I think that this shot is one of those shots that piques the audience's curiosity. While this shot may be detailed, it also offers little information about the subject's surroundings. This would trigger the audience to ponder questions such as: 

What is this cat looking at? Is something happening behind the camera?  

This is because while the photograph tells us that the cat is focused intently on something, it doesn’t reveal any information within the actual frame or shot. Hence, the purpose of using this technique was to provide more details and accentuate the cat's facial features as well as to engage the audience. 

Shot 4: High Angle Shot

High angle shot of the cat

In contrast to the previous three shots, this shot was taken as a high-angle shot to make the subject look small and vulnerable. It was rather difficult to take this shot due to the space restrictions (the cage was not tall enough to take shots from an even higher angle), however, I felt that this photograph still manages to convey the smallness of the subject. It allows the audience to view the subject from an elevated perspective so that the subject looks powerless, which can elicit feelings of empathy for the subject. (In other words, it makes you feel the urge to protect and care for this small animal). 

Shot 5: Reaction Shots

A reaction shot of the cat

Lastly, we have the reaction shot. The purpose and response to this shot are pretty self-explanatory. The shot cements the reaction of the subject in the photograph. Here, the cat looks rather confused and is clawing at the camera. This shot shows the emotion and reaction the cat had when I was taking photographs of it 😂 which I felt was a good shot to conclude on.

Hence, in this exercise, it is evident that the type of shot sizes and camera angles can frame the subject differently and elicit different perspectives and emotional responses from the audience.