The benefits of getting low

As photographers, we often look at things at eye level. But more often than not, there’s much more to see, often by looking up.

While I’ve discussed the importance of looking up before, and the different views you’ll get to capture, I have a slightly different take on this. Instead of just looking up, get down low. Then angle your camera up. You’ll be amazed at what you might capture. Here’s why you should be getting low.

1. You’ll get a unique perspective

A lower angle means you get to see your scene in a way that others wouldn’t. In my case, I was low to the ground, so I had an insectlike view. The tulips seemed larger than they were, and it truly resulted in a remarkable sight. With the windmill in the background, I was able to create a scene that not many people think of capturing.

2. You can remove any distractions, including people

Getting down low ultimately means you can focus on the scene in front of you, instead of the distractions around you. This means you can easily “erase” people from your scene, without any extra effort. Just go down low, angle up slightly, and you’ll see those people disappear in front of your eyes.

3. Getting low lets you manage focus

By this, I mean you can take a busy scene and make it into something surreal. Take this photo, for example. By getting low, I was able to focus on the slight pink pattern on one of the flower petals.

The only other elements in the scene were other flowers and a slight green tone from the stems, both of which had a super shallow depth of field. By going low, you’re able to work within your scene and focus on one element, resulting in a more impactful photograph.