How to photograph from a low perspective

November 19, 2015nPhoto

In this quick tutorial we’ll show you how to compose dynamic images and photograph from a low perspective.

An easy way of capturing portrait shots with a unique and unusual perspective is to simply lower your point of view by getting right down on the ground. This new point of view opens up all sorts of possibilities.

You can lie on the floor to shoot your subject, bringing your whole portrait down to ground level, or you could tell a story using only people’s feet, as with our shot of a girl playing on a swing.

The concept is simple, and doesn’t require any special kit or techniques, aside from knowing the right camera settings to use.

You simply need an eye for composition and detail, and a willingness to experiment with some creative posing. The trick is to find a feature of interest, such as a pet’s feet next to its owner’s.

SEE MORE: Camera Angles: 5 ways to add impact with unusual perspectives

01 Keep it simple
Get low down to shoot your portrait. Ideally, position yourself so you have a fairly clean background. Either a clear horizon or a distinct foreground will ensure that the focus remains on the subject. We’ve kept our swing portrait simple by shooting towards the trees.

SEE MORE: Tripod Tips: using a tripod to shoot from unusual camera angles

02 Blur the background
Set a wide aperture to blur the background and keep the focus on the subject – we’ve shot at f/3.2, although if you’re looking straight along the ground a narrower f/6.3 may be more suitable, as it will give you a slightly more generous depth of field.

SEE MORE: 10 composition mistakes photographers make (and how to avoid them)

03 Crop in close
Avoid wide lenses, as these will take in too much and will shrink your subject – we shot our swing image on a 50mm prime lens, for a closer crop of our subject’s legs. Look for foreground detail to include, and ask your subject to strike some interesting poses.

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