Capturing an alternative - and dynamic - perspective

Our elder daughter is almost five, and much to her delight, we’ve now granted her access to the camera. She wanders the house, taking photos and filming movies. The results have been mixed. Many of the photos are blurry or mundane (a shot of laundry carries limited appeal.) And the videos, though often funny, tend to make me dizzy. My personal favorite is the one where she forgot she was filming and captured herself irritably kicking her sister. No amount of finger pointing could dispel that hard evidence!

Then occasionally, one of her shots surprises me by its unique composition or point of view. Completely removed from the typical stream of family celebrations, nature shots, and candids of friends, her photos of everyday objects tell a story in a way that’s all her own.

These unusual photos got me thinking about how changes in voice or perspective can add vitality to communications of any kind. Monotony derails the connections we’ve made; we need changes of scenery to keep people interested.

Here are a few ways I’ve seen alternative perspectives woven in to communications:

• Bloggers invite experts to write guest posts on a topic they don’t necessarily have the authority to write about themselves. This has the dual benefit of introducing a host of new readers to a blog.
• Testimonials from the people an organization serves offer first-hand accounts that promote its services in a far more authentic way than its staff ever could. Urban Ministries of Durham here in North Carolina does a wonderful job of sharing via black and white video testimonials the impact that the food, clothing, shelter and supportive services it provides have on individuals in need.
• Some owners encourage their pets to “tweet”. Yes, it’s somewhat forced, but it seems to have a galvanizing effect on many pet lovers.

What are some of the ways you’ve introduced alternative points of view into your communications?