Shooting from a low angle with a wide lens. Dubrovnik, Croatia. 2009
Posted by razzbuffnik on December 7th, 2009
Over the last six months I’ve been experimenting with holding my camera, fitted with a 10mm lens, low down by my side and taking photos of people as I walk by them. Most of the time, shooting this way leads to failed images, but every now and again I get an interesting shot.
One of the reason why I’ve been shooting this way is to not only to get a different perspective and angle but also to get higher things into the frame. I wanted to do this because I noticed that a lot of my shots were shot from the same height, straight on, and they were starting to look a bit stale.
I’ve also been experimenting with holding my camera as high above my head as I can, as well, and I’ll post some of those shots at a later date.
December 8th, 2009 at 6:44 am
I do this all the time when I’m in Boston with my wide angle lens! I can attest to the amount of failed images that it produces, though. That’s why I can really, really appreciate this one! Although, I’ve been doing it to include more of what is below the usual frame! Aren’t we the oddest of duckies! Anyway, Inspires me to look back at some I’ve taken and post one.
December 8th, 2009 at 9:22 am
This is a really interesting shot… the combination of the backlighting, the wide view, and the tilt almost gives me vertigo. The flatness of a telephoto shot and the incredible depth obtainable with a wide angle both have their uses, and I like both. This one works especially well by includig the full surround of the tunnel, above and below what a normal lens would have taken in.
December 8th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Think of it as “What the world looks like to a seven year old”.
I like the angle too. Makes me feel like I might be running toward her.
-TP
December 8th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
[...] files to look at these images that I took one day in Boston from a post today from the land of Oz, Razzbuffnik. He said, while traveling in Europe recently, he’d tried to work on getting photos of [...]
December 8th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
Pat
It is funny how we are doing so many of the same things considering that we’ve never met.
Donald
Thanks. You’re right, it is a case of “horses for courses”. As I get older, I’m finding that the most useful tool in my bag of tricks is a more philosophical outlook in thinking about what I’m trying to say with photography rather than the actual equipment.
Turkish
Glad to see you back again. It’s been a while.
I can see what you mean about the shot looking like it’s a child’s view but I wanted a shot that was more about the tension of being alone in a tunnel with a stranger coming towards you.
Head down, no eye contact, keep moving.
December 9th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
Not fair! Why do ALL your photos look so great and all my photos so shallow and plain and pointless? Not fair! There’s no justice in this world!
I’ll go and get drunk now…
December 9th, 2009 at 7:09 pm
Robert
High praise indeed! Thanks and have a drink for me as I try to get my act together in the other parts of my life that I’ve been deficient in.
December 10th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
ha, you inspired me for my own post
December 10th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
[...] life unaware, somewhat in the manner of Walker Evans’ subway portraits. A recent post by Razzbuffnik and yet another computer crash made me go over some of my last year’s images from New York [...]
December 11th, 2009 at 9:25 am
Grasswire
Good to see that you’re posting again. Just because you’ve got a new kid, isn’t an excuse