Digital Photo Tip: Get Eye to Eye With Your Subject
The most compelling photos are often made eye to eye with the subject. That means that if you’re photographing a child, pet, or small plant you’ll want to get down low so your camera’s lens is roughly at the same level as your subject’s eyes. If it’s a flower then that’s your eye level.
I’ve noticed that most non-pro photographers always shoot from their own eye level. There’s nothing wrong with that for many subjects, but it quickly gets boring to see everything from the same vantage point. It’s particularly dull to just tilt the camera down without thinking about how your subject will fill the frame.
One way to remember to try different viewpoints is to think about how different animals see the world. Birds see the world from the sky, looking down. Adult humans experience the world from about five feet. Two-year old humans see things from half that height. A rabbit’s world view is from only 6-8 inches.
Try this little experiment with one of your favorite knee-high subjects. First take a picture from your eye level. Then get down to your subject’s level and take another picture. If you haven’t been doing this I think you’ll be surprised at how much stronger the eye-level photo is.
Don’t be afraid to lie down on the ground. Move in close and fill your frame, too. This Rough-skinned Newt was shot with my Canon S70 pocket camera right at ground level. The portrait of Kaleigh on the beach was made with my big digital SLR and a long lens, handheld while sitting on the ground.