Photography Tip #3: Gettin' Low

Now I know this next tip isn't rocket science, but I have seen (and have been guilty of) too many photos being taken from the photographer’s “point of view” aka up high at…say 5 feet 4 inches?

Granted sometimes you're going for that kind of picture (like these ↑ above) but generally when taking photos of your little ones, you will have to kneel/sit/squat/crawl… whatever it is, in order to get down to their level. If I recall correctly, I was literally laying down flat on the sand to get this little shot below (glad nobody was nearby to judge me, ha).

When we take photos from above, it leads to disproportionate head/body ratio, and it can sometimes make your pictures look a little awkward and unnatural. See these photos below. One is from up top, and one at the child's level. While the "up top" ones aren't terrible, it makes me feel more "in the moment" when I see the ones I took from doing some serious squats that day on the boardwalk at Gray's Beach in Yarmouth.

A few more at the Edgartown Lighthouse on Martha's Vineyard.

My favorite part about gettin' low is that sometimes I'm able to capture whatever is in the forefront of my lens. I actually love doing this, because it creates a little more depth to the photo. You just have to remember that your lens will want to focus on "the thing" that's in the forefront (e.g., grass, flowers, sand, objects, etc.), so you will have to press your shutter-button half way so that it focuses on your precious little subject (e.g., that sweet babe of yours).

Since we're getting low, two quick things to be mindful of.

1. The background. Sure, your main focus is your kiddo, but capturing their surroundings can be as equally important. Is the garage door open with all those lovely tools and rakes on display? Are there piles of laundry on the floor? Random people in the background? I’m not saying “go clean up!” because my garage most certainly is a hot mess, and I have laundry FOR DAYS... I just want ya to be mindful of what else will be in your photo. Simplicity is best.

2. Frame it. If your surroundings give you the opportunity to frame your photo proportionally, it can make an image more aesthetically pleasing and keep the viewer's focus on the framed object . So for example, on the Cape we have a lot of wooden boardwalks, and those are easy to frame. I just make sure I place my subject aka Elle somewhere in the middle in relation to other objects, and make sure you are also in the middle.. in other words, just chase your child in a straight line.

As always, let me know if you have any questions. Happy snapping. xo

A

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