Overhead / bird's-eye view
A camera viewpoint aimed straight down from above, whether the scene is carefully arranged, actively unfolding, or spread across a landscape.
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What it is
An overhead or bird's-eye view puts the camera directly above the scene, with the lens aimed straight down. It describes viewpoint, not styling. A flat lay is one carefully arranged use of that viewpoint, but an overhead frame can just as easily show a cook working, machinery in motion, swimmers in a pool, or a city block from a drone.
Reach for it when position, pattern, or process matters more than eye contact: recipes, assembly steps, maps of objects, tabletop games, floor plans, and geometric landscapes. Busby Berkeley built whole 1930s musical numbers on this viewpoint, turning rows of dancers into rotating patterns. It flattens depth into shape, so spacing and silhouettes become unusually important.
Gotcha: almost straight down often looks accidentally crooked. Keep the sensor plane parallel to the surface or parallel lines will converge, and leave room to correct small errors. Watch for the camera rig and operator casting shadows, and secure any overhead support with a counterweight and safety line.
Ask AI for it
Create a true 90-degree overhead photograph of a baker shaping dough on a working table, not a flat lay. Keep the sensor plane parallel to the table, show both hands mid-process, and use cross-polarization to control glare on the steel tools. Correct only residual convergence with Adobe Lightroom Classic Guided Upright, preserving natural object proportions.