August 8, 2008
By: Reby Sky

Question : What is a good way to shoot a flattering photo of a model from a lower angle ?
Mark, from Brandon, FL

When shooting at a lower angle (lying on the floor, sitting on a wheelchair, etc.) it's best to place your subject in the horizontal plain parallel to your film chip or CCD chip (sensor).
If you are having "chin issues", such as the appearance of a double chin, have your subject lean forward (at the waist), which will put your subject parallel to your film's censor, therefore distorting the perspective and moving your subject to a more flattering position. Another tip is to ditch the low angle and try to shoot 10-15 degrees above your subject and have him/her stretch their neck and push the chin out. If positioning yourself above your subject is not possible, another idea is to shoot with a longer focal length :
Instead of being close to your subject, shoot with a long lens and shoot from a further distance to eliminate distortion or unflattering angles for your model.

Question : I have 2 prime lenses; 80mm & 50mm.
If I used just one lens and simply moved myself closer/further away from my subject would I achieve the same effect as I would've had I switched between the 2 lenses ?
Carl, from St. Petersburg, FL

You may get a photo with the same framing, but you will have a different depth of field. For example, if you experimented with 2 lenses by setting your camera and taking a photo at the exact same settings with the 2 different lenses, you would get noticably different results (The 50mm would contain more depth of field). This is because of the distance from the lens to the censor plain, which is what develops your depth of field in the first place. A good way to learn about depth of field and the different effects you can achieve by manipulating it is it to use a depth of field calculator. Simply plug in your focal length, subject distance & F-Stop and you can discover all the differences between your lenses and calculate which part of your image will be in focus and which will not.