Camera angles: Eye Level

This is the most common shot. The camera is positioned as though it is a human who is actually observing the scene. For example, the camera would be at the actors head level which is usually placed five to six feet from the ground. Shows subjects as how we would expect to see them in real life.

Camera angles: High Angle

This shot is a less detailed birds eye view, not quite the same shot but close. The camera is placed above the action to give a 'general overview'. Obviously, high angles make the actual image and whats in it look much smaller than what is actually is, for istantance a high view of a city would make the people and shops look a lot smaller. This also makes the object seem less significant or somehow scary in some cases.



A cameraman raised above the action, getting a high angle shot:

Camera angles: Low Angle

This shot gives a sense of speeded motion and increases height. Low angles often confuse a viewer. Usually the background of a low angle shot would just be sky or a general landscape etc. The lack of detail added to the shot increases the importance of the low angle. The viewer may be inspired fear and insecurity by the added height of the object on screen.

Camera angles: Pan shot

A movement that scans a scene horizontally. It is often used to follow a moving object which is mostly kept in the middle of the frame. For example a car moving on a busy motor way etc. Panning a camera results in a motion similar to that of someone shaking their head "no" or of an aircraft performing a yaw rotation.

Camera angles: Oblique/canted angle

To suggest imbalance the camera is tilted (not placed horizontal to floor level) it also suggests instability, which is used a lot in horror movies for a scary effect. A hand held camera is often used for this angle. 

Camera angles: Birds eye view

This shot shows a scene from directly overhead, its a really unnatural angle. It doesn't give any detail as it is too far away from anything to see it just shows the basics. Objects in the scene aren't very noticeable at first such as an umbrella in a crowd etc. This shot puts the viewer in a godlike position, looking down from high up.

Camera angles: Extreme close up

This shot is like a close up but more detailed that is not usually visible to the human eye. For example, an extreme close up to a face would show someones mouth or eye without any background detail so its all the audience focus's on. The shot is usually used for dramatic effect. This camera shot has to be taken very professionally as with one single camera shake or some kind of error is very noticeable.