Introduction

When we see and do the same things every day, the world around us can seem boring and mundane. There is a saying, ‘A change is as good as a rest’. We experience this when we look at belongings from a different viewpoint, decorate our home or go on holiday. Having different surroundings give a new dimension to our lives. When looked from a different angle our world, suddenly, looks very interesting and new.

Artists are always looking for different ways to portray their surroundings. To help achieve this some artists go that extra mile. One of the most difficult views to obtain, that I can think of, is the ‘bird’s eye view’. This view has been inviting to artists for hundreds of years.

“Birds eye view” came into being the moment perspective was a concern of western man, and Columbus sailed towards the ever distant vanishing point. (Newhall 1969)

I asked myself some questions, what is it about “A Birds Eye View” that is so fascinating? What lengths do artists/photographers go to to obtain it and also what are the images used for?