In this example, the goal is to shoot a person playing guitar. The shooter could stand 10 feet away and get a wide shot. That’s fine, but she’d also want to get closer to get a shot like the one on this page. Note the diagonal lines, but also note just how close the camera is to the guitar player’s hand: 6 inches. In fact, if the guitar player swings his arm, he’ll likely smack the camera operator. That’s the price of a good shot.

It’s true that the best camera operators tend to be people who are outgoing and confident. A shy person wouldn’t want to get so close to the guitar player. And getting close is a major key to good camera work.

(Don’t worry shy people... there are plenty of other production jobs you’re likely to be better at than your gregarious friends.)