Insights and musings about photography and the creative process

Ken Lee 1/15/24 Ken Lee 1/15/24

Getting Down in Africa – Low Angle Photography Why & How

Rule #1 of wildlife photography is Get Low. But why? And how do you even get low when you’re confined to the inside of a safari vehicle as is almost always the case in Africa?

Rule #1 of wildlife photography is Get Low. But why? And how do you even get low when you’re confined to the inside of a safari vehicle as is almost always the case in Africa?

Why Go Low?
The change in perspective that comes with a low camera angle (eye level or below) can be helpful in many ways:

Eliminate busy, boring or low-contrast backgrounds - when photographing animals from above, it’s hard to end up with anything other than the ground as a background. While that’s not necessarily a bad thing if the landscape or light is interesting, shooting from near ground level gives you options, like having sky behind your subject. Predators and prey are also naturally evolved to blend into the landscape which is great for survival but not always helpful for pictures.

Create connection – direct eye contact creates a powerful connection with your subject but it’s hard to achieve - parts of the eye are often obscured by the shadow cast from the eyelid or brow. A low angle helps you clearly see the subject’s pupil and iris. The result is a subtle but noticeable increase in impact.

Something different - a very low perspective also adds interest simply because it’s novel – it’s not the usual way we view animals. It also increases your subject’s ‘gravitas’. If you want an animal (or person) to look bigger or more imposing, shoot from below.

Show me, don’t tell me

It’s easier to show than explain, so take a look at the example images in this post and linked gallery – hopefully the difference and benefits will be obvious.

Low Angle wildlife Gallery

Getting Down
Now that we understand some of the benefits of a low camera angle, it’s time to move on to how to accomplish it. My friend and often co-workshop leader, Leighton Lum, introduced me to his Low Angle Monopod method during my first trip to Africa and it’s responsible for some of my favorite images.

DISCLAIMER: Use this technique at your own risk! It involves sticking parts of your body outside the safety of the safari vehicle – don’t get so absorbed in taking pictures that you lose situational awareness. If a curious lion approaches too close, get all of yourself inside the vehicle immediately even if it means leaving your equipment outside temporarily.

Equipment – The Basic Rig

Camera –it’s possible to make this technique work with a dSLR, but a mirrorless body, especially one with an articulating screen and Animal Eye Focus capabilities are really what you want.

Lens – a medium telephoto like a 70-200 mm is our recommendation. A rotating collar mount is especially helpful so you can orient your camera right side up

Monopod– nothing too special here, most models will work but something lightweight will help minimize arm fatigue. A ball head is optional but keep it lightweight as well.

Remote Release or Camera App – you’ll need a way to trigger your shutter. Every camera manufacturer makes a wireless remote release for their cameras and there are plenty of third-party options as well, all relatively inexpensive. I really like these remotes by JJC for Nikon, Canon & Sony because they work via Bluetooth, eliminating the need for a receiver/connecting cable (requires a camera w/Bluetooth capability). Your camera manufacturer’s mobile app can also serve as your remote release but we’ve seen mixed results – sometimes there’s a slight delay between pressing the button in the app and the actual camera shutter click.

The Technique

Establish a connection between remote release and camera following the instructions of your remote release hardware or app.

If using a ‘traditional’ remote release, mount the receiver in the camera’s hot shoe and connect the cable from the receiver to the appropriate port on the camera.
If using Bluetooth remote or camera app, create a wireless connection between the remote trigger and the camera according to instructions provided

Set Autofocus – Enable Animal Eye Focus and use it conjunction with the Wide/Large area or Full Screen option in AF area setting if possible.

Rotate Lens Collar – so that the mount foot is facing up and attach monopod

Tilt your LCD screen up so it’s facing up and viewable from above

Test – make sure everything (camera and remote release or app) is turned on and give it a try. Make sure you can activate autofocus and fire the shutter using your remote release or app. Practice passing the rig through a vehicle window, lowering the camera, finding and focusing on your subject, and firing the shutter. Adjust your zoom as necessary and leave plenty of room to crop and straighten crooked horizons.

Be patient and keep practicing. It’s normal to feel clumsy at first and your results may be less than stellar. This will improve with practice.

Note: if you use Back Button focus and have disabled Shutter button AF activation, you may need to re-enable it

Options & Finer Points

Look, listen to your eyes – the low angle technique is a great arrow to have in your quiver but it’s not always the right choice for every image.
Switching between low angle and regular shooting is time consuming. If possible, it’s nice to dedicate a second body to low angle shooting.
The cable connecting your remote receiver to the camera is easily damaged. Carry a spare and be careful not to pinch or stress the cable connections.
In bright daylight the monitor can be hard to see. An LCD shade might help, but also keep in mind it’s not necessary to see every detail - you’re relying on the camera’s AF to achieve focus and seeing less detail is often helpful for composition.
Next level – Randall Ball’s new and improved version of the low angle rig. We’ll save the details for another post but leave it to a Cajun to take things up a notch.
Have fun, be safe, good luck!

Ken Lee 9/25/23 Ken Lee 9/25/23

The GOAT

Our 2018 Scouting Mission was the epitome of epic adventure travel. Every day, we said it couldn’t get better. Every day it did. Tears ran down cheeks on the final night, standing on the roof of a thousand-year-old monastery photographing the Milky Way with the rumbling soundtrack of throat-chanting Tibetan monks.

*A monk calls his brothers to Morning Prayer*

“My favorite trip of all-time? It’s a question I’m asked often. I usually give some wishy-washy answer because it feels like I’m being asked to choose a favorite child. But it’s always Ladakh that comes to mind, all due respect to my other “children” - I love you all. ”

— Ken Lee

Little things like a pandemic have kept me from returning, but I’m finally going back in April 2024. Come with me and let me show you why Ladakh is my Greatest Of All Time!

What & Where is Ladakh?
Ladakh is a mountainous region in far northern India bordering Tibet. The Himalaya mountain range dominates much of Ladakh’s territory. The history, people, and culture here are more closely associated with Tibetan Buddhism than the rest of Hindu-dominated India. Indians often describe Ladakh as, “Heaven on Earth.”

What’s it Like in Ladakh?
Wild, Remote. Other-worldly. That’s how my first visit to Ladakh felt. The biggest mountains in the world make for some truly grand landscapes. Vast spaces, really vast and starry skies that make you feel really small. Monks and nomads living lives from another time. There are not many places like this left. I wonder how it will feel when I return. I wonder what I missed the first time. I wonder what’s changed.

Show Me, Don’t Tell Me
I get it, we’re photographers, shut up and show me the pictures. Here you go: Ladakh Photo Gallery

2024 Trip info
Want to See and experience this magical land for yourself? Click here for full details about our April 2024 Ladakh Himalayan Adventure photography workshop

Ken Lee 5/14/23 Ken Lee 5/14/23

The Classic

2+ hours of steady pre-dawn uphill hiking by the light of our headlamps. An in-the-dark puma (mountain lion) encounter on the trail that elevated our heartbeats yet another notch. Hunkering down in the boulders against the whipping wind, wearing every stitch we had, fumbling with camera controls and tripods waiting for first light. I'll cherish these memories more than any resulting photographs.

*Not the actual cat we encountered, but pretty much what we saw (image from my neighbor’s trail cam).*

Secret Falls is hardly a secret anymore. This oft-repeated image of the falls with early light on Mt. Ftizroy has become 'the shot' for many photographers to bag on the Argentina portion of their Patagonia tour. It's a classic for a reason, but for me, there’s little joy in recreating any famous shot…it just doesn’t feel creative.

But the journey, the adventure of getting there, especially this time…that’s a different story. Someone once told me, “photography gives us an excuse to do crazy things.” I thought about that as we descended, pausing repeatedly to allow throngs of more sane, post-breakfast uphill hikers to pass. More crazy, please.

Ken Lee 4/24/09 Ken Lee 4/24/09

Photo Tip: Look at Small Images to See the Big Picture

Sometimes looking at a very small image often helps you better see the overall composition of a photograph. Read my blog to learn more.

I got a new camera recently that has a beautiful large high resolution LCD screen for previewing images. I see much more detail in this new display than the one in my old camera, but in some ways I miss the "postage stamp" size screen of my previous system. That's because looking at a small image often helps you better see the overall composition of a photograph. Since you can't see much detail, what you are left with is the overall 'shape' of the picture. What I mean is that the pattern of highlights & shadows, dominant colors, and shapes becomes much more obvious when you look at smaller versions of images. You can use this fact to fine tune your compositions in the field. Simply shoot one frame and bring up the image on your camera's screen (this works best when using a tripod). Now try to evaluate the composition from a global perspective. Trust your first impressions. Does the composition feel balanced? Is there a clear subject or does it get lost against the background? Are there any unintentionally distracting bright areas in the frame? If you are having a hard time seeing the overall composition, try stepping back from the screen or bring up the histogram display which further shrinks the size of your image on screen.

Looking at small images is also particularly useful when you are trying to select your best images from a photoshoot. When I was shooting film, I would scan the slide pages on a lightbox before breaking out the loupe. Now that most of us have gone digital, I suggest using your software to view your images as 'thumbnails' during the initial edits.

The pictures that jump out at you at this size will almost always be your strongest compositions. You can also use a variation of this technique when you are working on individual images. It's easy to lose the forest for the trees after spending some time burning, dodging, color correcting and making contrast adjustments. To regain perspective, try shrinking the image on screen and stepping away from the monitor. Better yet, take a break and leave the room. When you return, quickly glance at the screen. Your initial impression will give you a good idea if you are on the right path or if you took a wrong turn somewhere.

Ken Lee 4/18/09 Ken Lee 4/18/09

Best of Nature

Two of my images, "Winter Fenceline" and "Humphrey's Basin at Dusk" were chosen to be included in theBest of Nature exhibition at the San Diego Natural History Museum. A total of 72 images were selected from over 2300 entries for this exhibit. The exhibit will be on display at the museum from June 27th thru Sept 13 this year. Click here for more information.

Ken Lee 1/24/09 Ken Lee 1/24/09

Photo Tip: Zoom in for Stronger Compositions

Everyone has experienced the disappointment of photos that just don't do justice to the beauty and drama of the scene they remember. Usually, this gets blamed on not having a good enough camera. More times than not, however, the culprit is a composition that lacks focus. Not blurry/sharp focus, but focus in terms of having a clear subject. Faced with photographing a beautiful scene, most people automatically try to "get it all in" one picture. This usually means physically backing up or zooming out with the lens. And when they run out of room, people lean back to try to get that extra tree, mountain, river, whatever in the shot. Unfortunately, in most cases, this is exactly the opposite of what you should be doing. The next time you you find yourself backing up, ask yourself, "what is the subject of this picture?" "What is the really interesting thing about this scene and what can I leave out?" Keep moving forward or zooming in, eliminating (cropping out) everything that is not essential to your composition. Then check all the edges and corners of your frame and see if you can crop out anything else. If you can't resist, shoot one frame with a 'loose' composition and another with the tighter composition. I'll bet you'll agree that the tighter composition almost always makes the stronger image.