
When Mason is a little kid, the vast majority of camera angles being used are along the lines of high shots. Because Mason is a younger child growing up in a larger world, the angles being used are meant to depict his size relative to the rest of the world. One of the clearest examples is the scene in which Mason and his sister, Samantha, are starting out the window, watching Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke argue outside on the porch. From the high angle, the relative impact of the kids is minimal, and because they're so much smaller than the other characters being depicted, it gives off the metaphorical meaning of insignificance that the children feel.
When Mason is around middle school age, we get a lot more full-body shots as we start to understand his physical development. The most significant scene and shot we get in this stage of Mason's life is when he's riding his bike home in the back alley of his hometown, with his soon-to-be middle school love interest. This is one of the larger examples in the film of longer shot, as we see Mason and his 'girlfriend' for almost a full 2 minutes while they're going down the alleyway. Because we see his full body, not only does it connect with us to see his physical development, but we are given a deeper metaphorical viewpoint into Mason and how his conscious and psychology is slowly developing.

Overall, it's very interesting to see the progression of angles and shot types over the length of the film. We go from seeing Mason as this insignificant little kid in a bigger world to being a more philosophical, free-thinking male who knows what's good for him. We are exposed to this over the 13 year period of filming that gives us the insight into the growth and development of a young child. and really outlines the true concept of 'Boyhood.'