why is getting low good?

In many cases it is recommended to get low for sports photography. From marathons, cycling, football, tennis, motor sports and seemingly everything in between, recommendations are to get low.
In fact I agree with this recommendation, but my reason for this thread is WHY?

Why does getting low produce a more pleasing perspective in the shot? Is it simply that the photograph is from a perspective that the casual observer typically does not see? Does getting low put the horizon in a position that the brain reads as acceptable? Is getting low to clean up the background? does it open up the sensor to more light than pointing the camera level or slightly down? Maybe getting low helps capture the facial expressions of the athlete?

When I see sculptures/statues of famous people, they are usually in a straight on perspective, not "looking up", same is true of paintings.

There must be an element to photography that getting low is advantageous, any one know what it is?

In my opinion, any average "photographer" with a digital camera will be shooting down onto the players, and will result in the same type of average pictures. I suppose for sports such as swim, water polo (I shoot these two sports), it's a must to get down to the players level, and I often find myself having to lie down on the deck to get some good shots in.

The whole idea is to give a lesser seen perspective. Most people are either shooting/viewing sports from eye level or, as lawlz_xD noted, down on the athletes.

It just makes the shot more interesting. Also as you noted, it can unclutter the background without needing bokeh.

In the NFL, if you shoot from the endzone, you have to get down to avoid blocking TV cameras and/or crowd.

Nothing will get you a AA Battery to the back of the head faster than blocking some drunk-azz football fans view of the field.

Helps capture faces and also brings the viewer of the image into the action.

Puts a little foreground in your picture for a sense of scale, position, intimacy. Easier to get the Rule of Thirds happy. Puts the horizon at a visually better position. Birdseye, antseye views are usually more interesting.

ridiculous

definitely gets more 'faces' in the shots.

dave

The biggest reason to get low is to eliminate distracting backgrounds like sideline crowds, buildings, and parked cars. Try shooting half a soccer game from your knees and the other standing...it shows how much you can eliminate. Alot of the newspaper photographers in my area stand and shoot and then quickly travel on to the next game. I always look at their shots in the paper and look at the difference in perspective of mine from down low....sometimes a big difference in bg.

chris270 wrote in post #8857442
The biggest reason to get low is to eliminate distracting backgrounds like sideline crowds, buildings, and parked cars. Try shooting half a soccer game from your knees and the other standing...it shows how much you can eliminate. Alot of the newspaper photographers in my area stand and shoot and then quickly travel on to the next game. I always look at their shots in the paper and look at the difference in perspective of mine from down low....sometimes a big difference in bg.

Total agree. Also I think it creates a feeling of being 'in the game' we're all use to seeing the game from above on TV and in the stands. The view on the field at the level of the players is powerful.

Bicycle racing from a standing position.

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DC Fan, thanks for posting, great examples.

snyderman wrote in post #8857376
definitely gets more 'faces' in the shots.

dave

Especially for football too, it gets the eyes in the shot. When standing up and shooting the helmet usually covers the eyes.

DC Fan wrote in post #8858802
Bicycle racing from a standing position.

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Bicycle racing from ground level.

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Yes, there's a difference.

Yes, it's a lot warmer

Football with camera approx 2' from ground level ... I can get down pretty low still for an old guy!

Example:

Adama wrote in post #8877976
Yes, it's a lot warmer

lol.