cowboy shot

Holster-level camera angle

A cowboy shot is a film framing that shows a subject from mid-thigh up, leaving room to see a holstered gun at the hip.

The term comes from Western movies, where this framing was practical for showing gunslingers ready to draw.

Cinematographers still use it for dramatic effect: The director called for a cowboy shot as the detective entered the bar.

western imagery

gunfight

Armed combat with firearms

quickdraw · duel · saloon · sheriff · outlaw · standoff · gunslinger · six-shooter · frontier · spaghetti western

cinematography

framing

Structural or contextual shaping

blocking · visual storytelling · storyboard · director of photography · coverage

Opposites
framing distance

cowboy shotclose-up

Near-range photograph

choker · wide shot · long shot · establishing shot · head shot

Family

shot, cowboy, shooting, shots, shotgun, snapshot, cowboys, cowgirl, cowboy hat

Familiarity
Top 500,000
Profile
Mostly American · Timeless · Rated G