a SIMPLE photography tip :: get down on their level

Get down on their level.

Hold your camera at the subjects eye level to capture the power of magnetic gazes and mesmerizing smiles. For kids and pets, that means getting down on their level to take the picture. They don’t have to look directly into the camera, the eye level angle by itself will create a personal and inviting feeling.  Taking pictures from their level will create a personal and inviting feeling instead of a distant feeling that shooting from above often does.  Also, you do not have stay there and wait for them to make direct eye contact with the camera, sometimes capturing a picture of them looking in the distance or following their eyes to see what they are looking at can be just as good.

We all have seen thousands of pets or children in our lifetimes and nine times out of ten it is usually from our own perspective looking down at them. So shooting him, her, or it from their perspective shows how they are seeing the world. Remember that it is ok to crouch down, sit on the floor, or lay on your belly to get a shot. Even if it is in public it is definitely ok to look out of place to get the shot. I have hung over edges, climbed higher on rocks, and done other things a little out of the norm to get a picture.

So, next time you’re capturing a photograph of an animal or small child, don’t be afraid to get down low to get the shot.