Choosing a low angle of view can magnify things that may otherwise seem ordinary, or it can also make a portrait seem more majestic and dynamic.

Choosing to view things from a low angle always comes rather intuitive to me, it’s the first trick in my bag when things get challenging; but recently, low angle photography is something I’m starting to choose more intentionally and less as the result of something not working out.

Some cameras make low angle photography a breeze, like digital bodies with rotating screens or film medium format cameras with waist level viewfinders. Although I have used both types of cameras for low angle photography, I have used a camera without a rotating screen like the Canon 5D, or a Fuji X100F in most of my recent low angle photos. One thing I love about my Fuji compact camera is that its WIFI feature allows me to focus, adjust settings and press the shutter from my phone, making low angle shooting a simple enough process. However, I’ve hardly used that feature, so it does not yet feel intuitive to me. So, when choosing a low angle of view, I have pressed the shutter button in my camera from as low as ground level, kneeling or by bending my back, which I don’t recommend doing unless you’re a gym rat. (which I’m not) Either way, it’s exciting to know that new camera models make low angle viewing so effortless.

Most times when I’ve chosen low angles of view has been when a subject is backlit, or because I wanted to prevent a distracting element from entering the frame. When it comes to portraits, I’ve realized I liked it a lot when I bring the camera below eye level because it makes things look less default and it even makes a person seem more confident and defiant. The main thing to be cautious of is that when choosing a low angle of view, is essential to consider the lighting situation, so either bouncing some light back on to the subject or exposing for shadows is what I do in most low angle situations.

Model featured on thumbnail, IG: ElyCervantes