:: Photography Tips + Tricks: camera tilt ::

As promised, I am back here to share another photography tip/trick. Like the "Rule of Thirds", the "Camera Tilt" is a simple trick that will make the overall composition of your photographs that much more interesting and active.

When shooting candid children's portraits, I often think about how to frame my shots in order to emphasize the movements and playfulness of my subjects. For instance, in this photograph, I wanted to highlight the motion of her skipping down the sidewalk. In addition to adjusting my shutter speed (which I will talk about in another Tips + Tricks!), I tilted my camera slightly so that the horizon in the background is not at 180 degrees; instead, it is slanting downward towards the right bottom corner. As a result, one could feel gravity acting on her landing foot, pulling her down towards the ground. All of a sudden, the photograph is much more alive and full of implied motion.

Another use of the Camera Tilt trick is to liven up a closely cropped portrait. As seen below, I tilted the camera because in addition to capturing the mischief in her smile, I also wanted to emphasize the fleeting nature of her expression.

Try out this trick and let me know what you think!

As always, if you'd rather have some one-on-one time with me, you are always welcome to contact me to schedule a private lesson.