Ground level shooting

Ground-level perspectives make photographs compelling. When photographing animals, insects, flowers, and other low-to-the-ground outdoor subjects, you have essentially two choices. You can stand at an adult height and photograph downward, or you can get low. How low you need to go depends on the subject, but shooting while you are lying on your stomach produces images that are a lot more dynamic, engaging, and intimate compared to shooting the same subject while standing. I understand, as one gets older, this becomes more and more difficult. I now have a debate with myself when I know a lower shooting angle would be the ideal. Joint and back pain is the price you pay for getting down low.

As one ages and becomes less flexible, it’s hard to angle your neck to look through the viewfinder when lying on the ground. The solution for that is to use the articulating LCD screen on the back of your camera. You can now actually kneel down and angle the viewfinder so you can compose the picture you want. This saves your neck and back. It also helps you avoid lying in wet or muddy ground as well as avoiding close encounters with insects and other nasty little ground dwelling creatures that bite or sting exposed skin.

If you have an older camera that doesn’t have an articulating LCD screen, you can use a 90 degree angle finder shown below. I’m using it while shooting a waterfall, lower right, from an angle as low as I could go without getting the camera wet. Had I not been using the finder, I would have had to lie on the wooden boards and contort my neck into a painful position.

Sometimes ground level shooting can be dangerous like with the Komodo dragon, above. I used a long lens to keep my distance, but the low angle makes this photo work so well. §

Spectacular photo opportunities of horses in action

May 8- 13, 2023

UPCOMING PHOTO WORKSHOPS

Snowy Owl Workshop

Upclose and personal encounters with these stunning birds in flight. Learn how to expose for white on white wintry conditions.

January 5 - 9, 2023

Winter Wildlife Workshop

Photograph beautiful North American mammals plus a snow leopard in natural environments. Mountain lions, red foxes, arctic foxes, bobcats, lynx, wolves and more are in their full winter coats. This is a very special workshop.

January 17 - 21, 2023

Carnival in Venice Workshop

Photograph outrageous costumes in a medieval environment! Incredible colors, design, and creativity in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Learn how to use off-camera flash, photograph models in sumptuous interiors, produce great images at night, and all the while enjoying Italian cuisine. This is a workshop not to be missed!

February 12 - 18, 2023