Most people take photos from eye level. This is in part because you stand out if you do something different, like take out a telescoping pole to hoist your phone up or get down on the ground to take a photograph. It can be uncomfortable to stand out, to draw attention to yourself.
A few years ago, my mother came to visit me from Thailand with her new smartphone. We were in DC and we saw a few people with selfie sticks, and another photographer on the ground taking a photograph of the Capitol.
My mom laughed, “What does he think he are doing?”
I shrugged. “Trying to get a good shot.”
“He looks ridiculous!”
On the way home we stopped by Great Falls Park, where the bluebells were in bloom. My mom was completely smitten, they were achingly beautiful. If you’ve never seen them before, they are delicate blue flowers that grow en masse underneath the deciduous trees by the Potomac River.
As we walked along the trail, our group got a little spread out. I turned around to see where my mom was, and she had thrown herself across the path on her belly to get photographs of the bluebells!
We had a good laugh about that later. Looking a little ridiculous is a small price to pay for a meaningful image.
#MindfulPhotoChallenge: Worm’s Eye View
In today’s challenge, we are going to explore the worm’s eye view, which is photographing something from below. A whole new world of images awaits those who experiment with perspective and angles. Looking an a subject from a different point of view can really enhance your creative juices!
There are a few ways do to worm’s eye view.
- You can be at eye level and tilt your camera up at the trees, the sky, or buildings.
2. Or you can just get down on the ground and aim your camera up. This can be a little challenging with some SLRs that don’t have a tilting view screen, so you may need to switch to live view.
3. It’s also considered worm’s eye view if you get down on the ground and shoot on that level, like photographing pets or a toddler.
Experiment with the elements in your image, the foreground and the background, and the framing of your subject.
Share your images on Instagram with #refocusphotochallenge or tag me @ goodhartphotography.
Basketball Photo credit: TJ Dragotta
If you enjoyed this article, you might like:
- My full color 30-Day Photography Challenge Workbook here on Amazon.
- My Photography Articles Listed and Sorted by Type here
- My Mindful Photography Workshop here
