Photographing advice?

[SarahJPG]

Whenever I see one of two things or both, I always wonder why
1. When someone is in a photograph with a child or toddler, they always squat.
2. When a photographer photographs a toddler, even when there are multiple people, they also squat for some reason.

What are the reasons for both scenarios and I need to squat. Are you not supposed to stay standing or something?

 

[RAZKY]

Whenever I see one of two things or both, I always wonder why
1. When someone is in a photograph with a child or toddler, they always squat.
2. When a photographer photographs a toddler, even when there are multiple people, they also squat for some reason.

What are the reasons for both scenarios and I need to squat. Are you not supposed to stay standing or something?

There are times when one needs to squat, but when photographing is not necessarily one of them.

 

[Jeff15]

Hello and welcome....

 

[Strodav]

Welcome and enjoy the forum.

I don't completely understand your portrait observation, but here's my rule of thumb. When photographing children, or pets, or most any creature, you want to get at their eye level and make sure the eye closest to the lens is tack sharp. When you have adults and children, try and get their eyes near the same height, i.e., adult picks up the child, adult gets down on knees, child on a chair, ... , and get an eye from each of them near the same distance from the lens and make sure their eyes are tack sharp. Of course you can up the f stop, but then separation from the background might be an issue.

 

[AlanKlein]

welcome to the forum, Sarah. Pictures of children and pets are more intimate if you get down to their level. It's easier to shoot a camera if it has a screen that tilts up. It makes it easier on your back as you can keep the camera low down while looking down at the tilted-up screen.

 

[cgw]

Just imagine how great you'd look shot by someone 3-4x your height...

 

[Grandpa Ron]

One of the reasons I liked my old twin lens reflex is it shoots from the hip. When SLRs came out everyone shot from eye level.

This was true even with my mom's old Kodak. It had two viewing lenses, one on the top of the camera for vertical framing and another on the side to horizontal framing. However, you looked down at the viewers which were at waist level.

Waist and even "dog's eye" view points can provide some interesting shots.

 

[Original katomi]

Hi welcome as others have said getting down to eye level

 

[SunriseAvenue]

I think it's only reasonable to try and get at someone's eye level, the angle would look better as well as the shot itself. While you can fix the angle a bit in Photoworks, the difference in heights is not something this would work well for. You are not obliged to squat for sure, but you can shoot in both manners to compare the results and see which one you like better.

 

[smoke665]

Welcome. As mentioned above getting all the eyes tack sharp is a concern. Think of the focal plane as if your looking into a bowl, as you move away from the central focal point, it curves inward. Having all your major focal points near the center keeps everyone in focus.

Intimacy of the scene is another concern mentioned.. Disproportionate heights tend to be somewhat stoic.

The angle or viewpoint as mentioned above creates perspective issues that may not be flattering. Also, viewpoint can affect the balance of power between the viewer and the subject. Shooting low angled up implies strength, confidence, or power in the subject. Shooting down from a high viewpoint towards the subject conveys vulnerability, weakness and lack of power. Finally shooting level is a neutral angle.

 

[Grandpa Ron]

I have found that the camera sees, what the camera sees. The perspective is a function of the photographer.

Fortunately, photographic perspective is as individual as the person shooting the shot.

 

[Don Fischer]

Getting to eye level is the thing to do. Wanna check it? Take a photo of a dog with you standing up. Now kneel down to more of the dog's ,evel and check one against the other! Getting down on level isthe thing to do.

 

[Soocom1]

Everyone eludes to the perspective of the image. Traditionally the concept tis to photograph the individual as though your at eye level (as mentioned) and to capture the perspective of them on level in the shot.

Other times the shot from above sends a message or emotion.
By shooting at eye level and squatting, its about capturing them in the whole of thier stature.

 

[Grandpa Ron]

Here Is what I am talking about.

This is my dog Max chasing a field mouse. I chose this perspective, because it was what was needed to capture the moment.

The first picture is from above and has the dog upper right, mouse somewhere in the weeds lower left. The second shot is almost directly down, as the action was nearing my feet. The dog is centered, capturing the dog's intensity of the moment. Eye level would not have done anything for these shots.

Also, the thing that makes these shots possible, is the digital technology of modern cameras. One can simply point, frame and crop instinctively, knowing that any minor adjustments can be tweaked in post processing. This is a far cry from using my 4x5 view camera with fixed focused images on a ground glass, light metering and manual exposure adjustments.



 

[Don Fischer]

Here Is what I am talking about.

This is my dog Max chasing a field mouse. I chose this perspective, because it was what was needed to capture the moment.

The first picture is from above and has the dog upper right, mouse somewhere in the weeds lower left. The second shot is almost directly down, as the action was nearing my feet. The dog is centered, capturing the dog's intensity of the moment. Eye level would not have done anything for these shots.

Also, the thing that makes these shots possible, is the digital technology of modern cameras. One can simply point, frame and crop instinctively, knowing that any minor adjustments can be tweaked in post processing. This is a far cry from using my 4x5 view camera with fixed focused images on a ground glass, light metering and manual exposure adjustments.

View attachment 269442

View attachment 269443

Like these. Where the dog is in the photo ,his nose toward the target, make him appear to be going into the photo!