In Regards to The Dutch Angle

The Dutch angle, also known as Dutch tilt, canted angle, or German angle, is a type of shot where the camera is tilted off to one side so that the shot is composed with vertical lines at an angle to the edges of the photo or video. The Dutch Angle is used to convey motion, uneasiness, or tension.  When used correctly, it can be another powerful tool in your photography arsenal.

Photos meant to convey motion can benefit from the use of the Dutch Angle.  In these dance photos I took of Ricky, I slightly canted my camera to give my shot a feel of imbalance and movement to photo.  In the right photo I tried to make his right arm perpendicular to the edge of the frame.

The dutch angle doesn’t always have to be used for movements.  In the left photo, I canted the angle to match the direction of her attention to the auditorium crowd.  In the second photo I attempted to line up an angle to which the sun could be seen through the trees.

While the dutch angle can be a useful tool, it can be easily abused.  Here in these two photos, the dutch angle could have been used for the fighting stance in the left photo.  However in the right photo, the dutch angle was used to simply fill the frame with the subject.  While this is a use of the dutch angle, it might have been better to change the camera’s position.

The dutch angle is just another tool for photographers to use in their photographs, use it wisely, and don’t overuse it! :]

Do you like the dutch angle?  Do you hate it?  Have you used it before?  Post in the comments your thoughts and your photos! 

Thanks for reading, and as always,
<3 imPhotography