Tips for mums: W2 Changing perspective

Are you standing when taking pictures of your children or you just quickly put the camera to your eye and snap from the position you are currently in? Consider trying different angles and the whole perspective and the mood of the image will change.

Photographing from Eye Level
Most of the time I go down to my knees or even lay down (when babies are on their bellies) to be in the same level with child's eyes. When I photograph an older child lets say 5 -6 years old, yes, I am in that kind of 'sitting on the toilet' position :). This straight-on angle helps to prevent distortion, which will be caused by perspective or angle of view. This way I capture the way they are, nor smaller nor bigger.

Photographed at the eye level with no distortion.

Photographing from Below
If you go very low and photograph upward, you make your child looking taller. Also the subject might look to a viewer as if he is in control. For example, if your child is demanding something and saying 'I want my Ice lolly!' and has that typical stubborn expression on his face, you can emphasise the situation by going down on your knee and snap the picture upward. He will look even bossier and bigger. I love these kind of images, they are so narrative.

Photographing upwards I wanted emphasise, that he is a big boy now who is learning to bike, he looks older and taller.

Photographing from Above
When photographing downward, you need to remember that what is closer to the camera will be bigger than what is further away. So if you take a picture of your subject from above, not only he will look smaller than he is in overall, but also his head will look bigger compared to his body. It is a great way to show how we see children and how small they look in our eyes. I tend to do this especially when I want to show children's eyes, because as they look up they their eyes open up and usually they put on very curious expression. But I don't photograph from this angle very often.

I love his blue eyes and wanted to capture them, but don't photograph from this angle when it is sunny, they will squint!

Photographing from Above when child is laying
This is very fun angle and I love it, but you need to have the camera in eye level to your subject otherwise you might end up with picture where the viewer is looking up the nose. That is not something what you want to show :).

I stood right above his head, it is fun and great especially for little babies also you don't need to worry about background.

Photographing from behind
One of my favourite story telling positions. I like to photograph from behind when the expression of the subject does not matter to me so much but I am more interested in the story. You need to step back to include more of the subjects environment otherwise the image won't make much sense unless you are taking picture of the detail you want to emphasise (see below).

Painting the fence, I would not be able to see his full face so I have chosen to step back and include more of the fence.

Detailed image of his hair, which was quite long at that time and a bit curly.

EXERCISE:
Practise changing positions you photograph from but think also why, you are doing it. Upload your favourite to my ZuHuda Photography Facebook page and I will re-post my favourite one.