Looking at the world from above offers a fresh perspective, turning everyday scenes into abstract compositions. Overhead street photography is all about capturing geometry, patterns, and movement from an elevated viewpoint. The way shadows stretch and shift creates an added layer of depth, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary.
The featured image for this blog was taken from the balcony of an apartment in Noida, New Delhi, India, where I spent a month looking after a Boxer dog through the pet sitting site Trusted Housesitters. Shot from the 13th floor, it captures a local boy riding his BMX bike across the residential developments worn-out sports ground below. The boy’s elongated shadow stretches across the frame due to the afternoon’s sunlight. The textured green court, peeling paint, and intersecting white lines create a striking visual contrast, adding leading lines to the composition, while the play of light adds a dynamic energy to the scene.
A local Boy rides his BMX across a Badminton court in a housing development in Noida, Utter Pradesh, India.
The Art of Looking Down & Overhead Photography
Overhead photography allows for storytelling in a unique and unusual way. It flattens perspective, emphasising shapes and forms that might go unnoticed from ground level. In busy urban environments like New Delhi, sports courts, markets, and streets become graphic canvases when viewed from above. This is one reason drone photography has become so popular, it offers a similar high-angle perspective, showcasing symmetry, movement, and depth in ways the human eye rarely sees, or at least rarely did before the invention of drone photography! My BMX India image was Highly Commended in last week’s Street Photography Challenge, overseen by guest judge Arka Chakraborty. You can get involved with the weekly Street Photography Challenges on their Facebook page here, a great source of inspiration!
When working with this style, light is everything. Early mornings and late afternoons provide long, dramatic shadows, enhancing the visual impact. High noon, on the other hand, flattens the scene, removing that dimensionality. In this particular shot, the late afternoon sun stretched the boy’s shadow, creating a strong, almost surreal visual element that adds to the storytelling. The pop of his vibrant red T-Shirt against the green floor adds enough nice touch to the image. I took the image on a Canon 5D Mark IV with the awesome Sigma 135mm f/1.8 Art lens, the settings were ƒ/4.5 | 135mm | 1/320s | ISO 250. To experiment with different compositions you can try flipping the image vertically which can often give a completely different look to an image.
The Power of the Sigma Art Lens
The Sigma 135mm f/1.8 Art lens is an absolute gem for this kind of photography. It delivers sharpness, stunning colour rendition, and exceptional low-light performance. The wide aperture allows for flexibility in different lighting conditions, while the edge-to-edge clarity makes it ideal for capturing intricate details from a high vantage point. It’s also a fantastic lens for portraits, capturing both people and animals with great clarity, in addition it creates lovely background bokeh. I have also created some beautiful abstract seascapes with the Sigma Art lens.
Capturing the Moment
Shooting from extreme heights requires patience and observation, like most things, practice makes perfect so take lots of photos and have fun doing it. Elements to look for:
Human figures and movement – A single subject or a group interacting with their surroundings.
Strong shadows – Use them to create depth and intrigue.
Geometric patterns – Streets, courts, and architecture provide perfect symmetry.
Contrasts and textures – Cracked pavements, peeling paint, and bold colors add character.
For the BMX shot above, I waited for the right moment, ensuring the rider was positioned perfectly within the lines of the court. The mix of colour, texture, and light helped create a compelling visual story. Overhead photography isn’t just about looking down, it’s about seeing things differently. Scroll through the slideshow below to view a few more favourite overhead street images I captured in Noida from above:
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