Low, lower, lowest: finding the right viewpoint

Saturday 17 October 2020, 20:40 by Erik Nevels | 4,097 views | 4 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

In tutorials and talks by various photographers, I have often seen and heard it mentioned. The importance of your viewpoint.

A metre to the left or two to the right. One step forwards or four steps back. It can make a world of difference, so it is certainly worth taking the time to do it.

There is also the option of varying your height, or how low you are. Do I climb a ladder and look down on my subject like a bird? Do I make no effort and simply stay standing?

Or do I get down on my knees and choose a low perspective?
This blog is about that last choice.

The Doort

This week, choosing a nature reserve in our region was easy. We, my photography mate and I, are going to one of our favourite areas, the Doort.

This special nature reserve lies south of the centre of Echt in Midden-Limburg. Deciduous woodland and meadows alternate with each other. Together with two streams, various lakes and pools, it is a good home to a diverse range of flora and fauna.

Tree frog

The area may be best known for its tree frogs. This beautiful little green frog feels right at home here. The area is home to one of the largest populations in the Netherlands.

Over the past year, we have photographed the tree frog in the Doort several times. In warm weather and sunshine, you have the best chance of finding the animal on the bramble bushes.

How I work

Finding one is an art in itself. Do not rush and look patiently. The more often you do it, the better you get.

The tree frog is certainly not shy. If you work carefully and prevent the leaf, branch or bush it is sitting on from moving, you can get fairly close with your camera. Macro shots are then possible, but it is not easy.

The 'host bush', the bramble, regularly gets in the way. Working with a tripod is usually not possible. Placing the legs between the bushes already causes movement, and the same happens when you put a foot in the bush. So you need to be lucky for the frog to be close enough for macro shots.

Viewpoint

Photographing at the same height as the frog produces beautiful images. Its eye, or eyes, are clearly visible, as is its beautifully patterned body and, if you are lucky, its cute little feet.

That does mean you are often photographing in an uncomfortable position. Leaning forwards, bending down, getting down on your knees. A good photo takes some effort.

Lost

We carefully walk through a meadow with lots of faded plants, looking for mushrooms and perhaps a nice butterfly or another insect.

At a temperature of 15 degrees and with no sunshine, we do not expect to see any tree frogs today.

Well, there are plenty of frogs, but no green ones, until my mate suddenly stops in amazement. A tree frog is crawling in front of us on a faded lupin. Clearly lost, with no bramble bush nearby!

Without any trouble from the awkward bramble bushes, we get to work with the little creature. It lets us approach quite easily, although it regularly changes position.

Low

Because the little frog is sitting close to the ground, I get down on my knees and bend far forwards. This means I can still work through the viewfinder and photograph it almost from the side.

I work carefully and make sure I use a sufficiently fast shutter speed. I set the aperture to f/8 because I definitely want more in focus than just the eye. I accept the resulting high ISO.

Sony A7-3, 90mm, f/8, 1/160sec, ISO 1600

Lower

I realise that I have already taken more photos like this and start looking for something 'different'. A lower viewpoint is now quite easy because the bramble branches are not in the way.

Lying on the ground, I get the frog perfectly in frame. It has also settled nicely on a leaf and is looking straight at me. We are, so to speak, eye to eye, although I am lying down.

I just need to make sure that the seed head in the background is properly in frame and 'click'.

Sony A7-3, 90mm, f8, 1/100sec, ISO 1600

Lowest

Because the animal is sitting a little above the ground, an even lower viewpoint is possible. This time, I use the flip-out screen on my camera.

Focusing is more difficult, but practice and taking several shots make perfect. Because of the backlight from the sky, the frog becomes dark, so I increase my exposure by 2 stops. High Key, as it is so nicely called.

It is actually quite funny. The frog is looking at my camera from a bird's-eye view, while I am looking at it through my screen from a frog's-eye view.

Sony A7-3, 90mm, f8, 1/250sec, ISO 1600, 2 stops overexposed

World of difference

You can see how different the three results are because of the variation in viewpoint. Decide for yourself which one appeals to you.

Or even better, make a habit of varying your viewpoint until you are, or are mostly, happy with what you see in the viewfinder or on your screen. It is worth it!

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