Have you ever taken a shot wherein you are forced to shoot in an awkward position? Sometimes you need to crouch, move on to a prone position, and sometimes worst of it all, you even need press your face towards the ground just to get that elusive but amazingly unique low angle perspective. This could be a real deal breaker especially for people having big bellies (like me =b), people having difficulty bending and stretching their body on awkward positions, or even for people who doesn’t want to get down and dirty to the ground. Hesitating and not taking the shot once the situation arises could be the main difference between a so-so photo and a splendidly amazing photo.
Above are some photos taken by a photographer friend (Cris Adona) while I am shooting at a very low angle perspective emulating a worm’s eye view. As you can see, I didn’t hesitate to drop down on a prone position just to get the shot that I want. In this scenario, it’s not a big problem since the terrain is hard and dry. But what about shooting during the rainy season with puddles everywhere, or shooting on a wet environment, or shooting on a crowded and public place? Would I still get down and dirty? Most of us will say no, heck, even I would say no. Now the real question is… How can we shoot on a low angle perspective, ease off the task of doing it and avoid missing those kinds of shots just because it isn’t practical to get down and dirty? Is there any solution? Very simple… the answer is up above my friend (title of the blog entry)!
Yes. The solution is by using a Right Angle Finder. What the heck is a Right Angle Finder and why do I need it?
A right angle finder, sometimes called as “angle finder” is an L-shaped attachment containing a mirror mounted at a 45° angle to both legs of the L. It is attached and fitted onto the eyepiece of an SLR and lets a photographer look into the viewfinder by peering downwards rather than peering into the back of the camera. Such angle finders are useful for macro photography, situations where the camera is positioned low to the ground in order to get a worm’s eye view perspective or any other awkward angles that could give the scene a fresh and new look.
You may ask me, why the heck would I need a Right Angle Finder when I can just buy a DSLR with live view and swivel LCD? As of now(2008), the only DSLR available on the market with that feature is the Olympus E-3. But, if you are already heavily invested on a particular camera system aside from Olympus, are you willing to shell out big bucks just for that nifty feature? I don’t think so. And that’s where the angle finder fits in.
The right angle finder may cost a little bit hefty for casual shooters ($150 for the Nikon DR-6), but I assure you, if you love shooting landscapes and macro or any shot that requires awkward shooting positions, it is a must have accessory. It can save you a lot of back pains and also avoid getting down and dirty just like what I always do.
Anyway, as a final remark, I’ll leave you with the photo taken from the scene illustrated above. Is it worth getting down and dirty? You be the judge.
Nikon D200, Nikkor 12-24mm with Singh-ray Gold N’ Blue Polarizer
