Saturday,May,01,2004

When shooting kids get down to their level

Thou shalt not shoot down on children and other small critters

All too often we see photographs like this:

Obviously a very tall person took this photo!! It is not the most flattering photo and makes this little person look much smaller and meek than he really is (trust me, I know, he’s my nephew!). I cringe every time I see a photographer making this mistake. They stand up tall and tip their camera down to get a picture of a child sitting at a table or even worse, playing on the ground with their toys. I have to bite my tongue to keep from blurting out my discomfort because I simply hate photos of children where the camera is looking down on them. The result of this mistake just feels wrong when viewed! Sure, there are some exceptions to this “rule” but you must know the rule and use it before choosing to break it.

I find this photograph to be much more flattering, better at capturing the essence of this little guy, and more pleasing to the eye:

So, the tip for this posting is:

When shooting children get down to their level. Drop down on one knee and shoot… Sit down on the ground and shoot… Not only is your perspective much better, but you will probably be more stable and get sharper images.  When shooting really small subjects like dogs or cats, or small children playing, it’s not uncommon for me to lay on the ground to capture a better image. 

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