alx Loc: NJ

As usual, Steve, great article - read it as soon as I got your email about it yesterday.

I just wish my body got down the way it used to.

Getting down isn't quite so bad - I've mastered a controlled crash that doesn't break any body parts. Not good for sneaking up on anyone, but once down you can always take a nap and then lie in wait.

Getting back UP is the real painful problem.

Keep up the inspiring works! Always enjoy and am addicted to your books.

John Battle Loc: Tacoma, WA, USA

"The viewfinder is better - if you can see it :) The tilt screen can work (and I use it), but the PDAF system via the viewfinder is faster and will lock on easier. Still, if you have to be really low and the subject isn't moving around too much, the tilt screen works well."

Thanks, Steve, for your quick and helpful answer!

Sunnely Loc: Wisconsin

Great article. Sound advice. Thank you so much.

You are right! Shooting at eye-level gives all (photographer and viewers alike) that feeling of being up close and personal with the subject (e.g., fox, bird, snake) and more connected with it and almost want to reach out and touch it.

Now, it all make sense to me. Sometimes I ask myself when I see some photographers get down so low, "How low can you go?" Like these ones:

Steve Perry Loc: Sylvania, Ohio

LOL - there's probably a picture of me out there like that!

Rich1939 Loc: Pike County Penna.

Thanks Steve, It's a really good article!
As an Older Gentleman* getting down to ground level is usually out of the question but I have considered tethering to a small laptop.
I like the premise of 'eye level' as it corresponds to a personal idea of displaying a print. To wit, if the image was taken at an angle (up/down) display it so the viewer needs to assume the same angle with their eyes. When displaying a photo of an animal at apx. viewer eye level that was taken using your method, the viewer will be 'locked in'. Cool
* Old is a fact, gentleman is open for debate

toxdoc42

I bought a Chinese knock off for a few bucks, from Amazon. It slips onto the frame of the eyepiece on my Nikon.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

Interesting article. Unfortunately, I’m with the guy who can get down, but not up so easily. I like the idea of using a long lens to approximate a lower angle.

Side note: I was a composition teacher for forty years, and your article is written a lot better than many that I see in edited magazines. Congrats on the good writing--style, clarity, and mechanics.

Rich1939 Loc: Pike County Penna.

I have a 90 degree in my collection of old accessories but you still have to get down on the floor to use it!

Steve Perry Loc: Sylvania, Ohio

Thanks again for the kind words everyone :)

@Rich - LOL :)

@John - Thanks so much - I don't really consider myself a great writer or anything, but it's always nice to hear that the article reads well.

Swamp-Cork Loc: Lanexa, Virginia

Excellent article, Steve and many thanks. I really love your instructions and articles but am old and really need to follow something like post-processing instructions by having a book beside me so that I can have it open to the needed page as I'm trying to follow the procedure described as trying to read the procedure off the screen and them perform it without referring back to the video is very difficult for me! I decided that when I purchased Photoshop essentials.com from you that I would print it and then put in into a loose-leaf notebook which would make it easy to flip from page to page but after going through two orders of ink, other things delay me, and now much later not even sure where the instructions are stored on the computer, as my computer skills also leave much to be desired. I'm sure it on the computer somewhere but will probably need to allow much of the day to find it. I remember writing down where it was stored on the computer, and should have filed that information in my old conventional file cabinets which I do understand! Anyway always really enjoy all of your information and viewing your beautiful work! Take care, (Swamp-Cork), Elbert Cutright, Corky.

Steve Perry Loc: Sylvania, Ohio

Thanks for the kind words :) Photoshop essentials actually isn't one of mine, but we do have people print the books all the time and put them in a looseleaf as you describe - works great!

Swamp-Cork Loc: Lanexa, Virginia

Im sure that I do have one of your great books on filming wildlife Steve that I purchased quite a few years ago. Take care!