Low Angle Shots - Use that Swivel LCD!!!

[Abel]

I big thing i miss on my older Canon point and shoot G5 is the swivel LCD feature. this allowed me to place the camera low to the ground and get a more intriguing point of view rather than a typical plain jane photo.



Since ive moved to a dslr thats the one thing i sure wish i had in order to let me compose my shot without having to practically get on my stomach to compose a shot. I have since gotten an AngleFinder for my canon 10d but dont use it as often.. i really should make it a point to use it more often. maybe ill give it a try soon!

so keep in mind you guys with those nice swivel lcd cameras... put them to good use and get your lens down low and try some shots! you'll prolly find that they seem much more interesting since you normally see things from your eye level and not from 6" off the ground etc...

[sbug_adam]

nice shot indeed. thats why i love my Sony F717. its swivel lens and lcd is awesome!

Adam

[chloew]

Beautiful picture.

[Jim Victory]

Very well said Abel!

This is something that people dont' think about. Usually they take pics standing up but a different angle can bring a new perspective to this shot.

I have used this technique for almost 20 years shooting sports, especially field sports. You get an entirely different perspective when you shoot from a kneeling position rather than a standing one. It brings you into the action, especially in a sport like soccer when the ball is on ground level and thats were the focus of the action is.

It also works well with wildlife. Last time I was at Brazos Bend one of my Photog friends got down on their stomach to take a pic of an alligator at eye level. The perspective was great, even if he almost got eaten. :lol:

Here is an example of a shot taken at water level of a gator. It is certainly not one of my better shots but it demonstrates what Abel is talking about. I tried to get the camera at water level to produce almost a mirror effect.

Different angles can help bring a different perspective to your photography.

[Abel]

thanks jim!

that gator shot i s killer! i love the low angle on that one... adds a much better feel than if you were standing up looking down on it...

ive always been told when photographing animals or children (some regard those two as the same thing hehe jk) that you should always try to get to their level so to speak. meaning shoot them at eye level even if u have to get down on the stomach for the shot.

the results are much more facinating!

[Capt. Ray]

Nice photos Abel and Jim. Here's a fantasy shot I took a while back using that same low camera angle technique. After I shot the mushroom, I blended in the photo of a zoo eagle head.

[Mongo]

I take alot of my action shots of my sons football team down on one knee. Only problem is its harder to get out of the way when those 250 pounders are headed at you. I do have a couple of pretty decent shots of guys right before I had to dive out of the way though..

[sbug_adam]

mondo, whats your setup when you take those shots..?

Adam

[Mongo]

Depends on whether its a day or a night game. For the daytime stuff, I usually go for around 1/500-1/800 shutter speed, and around around f5.6 or so. For nighttime stuff, I usually set it at 1/200, and let the camera set the F stop. Then do a ton of Photoshopping to get them to come out. Hopefully by next season I will have stepped up to a DSLR (shooting with a Fuji 5000 right now), and some better glass so I can take the night stuff better.


Heres a link to some of the games I shot.

http://jaguars.myphotoalbum.com/

[Craig Wilkins]

Nice shot nice lines Able

Love the gator jim