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Dewman · 03-10-2016, 11:26 PM - **1 Like**

I've got really bad knees and hips and there are many times I'll see something close to the ground that really catches my eye, but I know there's no way on God's green earth that I could get down on my belly and take the shot. This very situation happened to me earlier this week. I was out for a drive in the country, to some of my favorite spots.... the dirt roads along the banks of irrigation ditches in the farmland. There are all types of bushes, wildlife, weeds, wildflowers.... all kinds of stuff like that.

Anyway, I digress. I was out walking along the ditch bank. It was dry other than a little moisture in the bottom from a recent rain. I spied a backlit clump of very lush green weeds and the sunlight coming through the leaves was very eye-catching. But, it was at ground level, and on the downhill slope inside of the ditch. No way I could get down to the level to take the shot.

I scratched my head and then looked at the Beike ball head on my monopod. The monopod will extend to about 6 1/2 feet and I can swivel the camera in just about any angle I want. So, I extended it out full length, pre-focused the K-50 with the DA 35mm f:2.8 Limited Macro at about 18", set the camera on 12 second delay and reached out with the camera upside down, literally bumping the flash hump against the ground and waited for the shutter to trip. I had to take about half a dozen shots until I got the shot below. All I had to do when editing it was flip it vertically.

The shot's certainly NOT anything worth writing home about, but I'll remember this handy way of getting these low angle shots in the future! I found an area not far away that had several hives of honey bees. They were swarming by the thousands, so I tried the same trick. After several attempts, I still hadn't got the shot I wanted, mostly because the sun was on the wrong side of the hives. But, this weekend, I'm going back and see if I can get some images of them using my new adaptation.

I don't know.... maybe this is an old trick and I'm just preaching to the choir.... but, I thought I'd mention it anyway.

Last edited by Dewman; 08-05-2017 at 04:11 PM.

stevebrot · 03-10-2016, 11:29 PM

Many tripods are made with reversible center columns to shoot upside-down for low angle stuff. My Giottos has an articulated column that is capable of swinging down between the lens to shoot inverted at the ground between the legs.

It is a good technique to remember. Thanks for sharing.

Steve

Dewman · 03-10-2016, 11:42 PM

Originally posted by stevebrot

Many tripods are made with reversible center columns to shoot upside-down for low angle stuff. My Giottos has an articulated column that is capable of swinging down between the lens to shoot inverted at the ground between the legs.

It is a good technique to remember. Thanks for sharing.

Steve

My Promaster tripod has the same feature you're revering to, but in this instance, it wouldn't work because it was a steep incline and it would have required me to climb down into the ditch to even try to set the tripod up. So, I was pretty much forced to use this method. Being able to reach that far out and down was quite an eye-opener! It's not the first time I've used the monopod for extending the camera over my head, like when at the Doobie Bros. concert a couple of years ago, but it was the first time I ever tried to reach out and down.... AND upside down.... to take a shot!

Steve, I can't stand it any more! I've looked at your avatar for over three years now. I've copied it and enlarged it trying to figure out what in the heck it is.... and I STILL haven't a clue! Can you help me out? I know it's probably something as plain as the nose on my face, but for the life of me, I just can't figure it out!

npc · 03-11-2016, 12:13 AM

Originally posted by Dewman

Steve, I can't stand it any more! I've looked at your avatar for over three years now. I've copied it and enlarged it trying to figure out what in the heck it is.... and I STILL haven't a clue! Can you help me out? I know it's probably something as plain as the nose on my face, but for the life of me, I just can't figure it out!

seems like a bw closeup of a rose to me ...

---------- Post added 03-11-16 at 01:27 AM ----------

If you don't heed both hands to hold the monopod steadily maybe using one of those ir remote triggers will make it more convinient than setting a delay (can use AF as well if it makes sense to)

**WPRESTO** · 03-11-2016, 05:11 AM

Avatars reveal your true inner self, how you want people to think of you.

Newfie · 03-11-2016, 09:50 AM

Originally posted by WPRESTO

Avatars reveal your true inner self, how you want people to think of you.

Well in that case Wpresto, looking at your avatar ,and if I were female and met you in a bar I'd say "You do have a nice personality" ... ;-)

Of course my avatar is blank ... pretty telling

bertwert · 03-11-2016, 09:52 AM

Originally posted by WPRESTO

Avatars reveal your true inner self, how you want people to think of you.

...

stevebrot · 03-11-2016, 11:12 AM

Originally posted by Dewman

Steve, I can't stand it any more! I've looked at your avatar for over three years now. I've copied it and enlarged it trying to figure out what in the heck it is.... and I STILL haven't a clue! Can you help me out? I know it's probably something as plain as the nose on my face

Plain as a rose in a vase?

Steve

atupdate · 03-11-2016, 11:54 AM

Originally posted by Dewman

I don't know.... maybe this is an old trick and I'm just preaching to the choir.... but, I thought I'd mention it anyway.

Ground level shots with a wide angle can be fun also. Now that I've purchased an IR remote, I have to keep this trick in mind (it will be a lot easier on the knees).

Tim

narual · 03-11-2016, 12:16 PM

Originally posted by stevebrot

Plain as a rose in a vase?

Huh. I always thought it was a black and white of Antelope Canyon.

---------- Post added 03-11-16 at 02:19 PM ----------

This is a situation where the flucard might have actually come in handy (linked to a phone obviously, you'd need a third hand for a tablet; and assuming your camera body supported it). You'd be able to see what the camera saw, adjust for the exact composition you want, more precisely focus, and all that, minimal guesswork required.

a5m · 03-11-2016, 01:48 PM

Originally posted by Newfie

Well in that case Wpresto, looking at your avatar ,and if I were female and met you in a bar I'd say "You do have a nice personality" ... ;-)

That is the nicest way of putting it if I understood your post correctly.

**clackers** · 03-11-2016, 03:19 PM

And you can hold it up on the monopod over a crowd, of course.

03-10-2016, 11:26 PM - 1 Like	#1
Dewman Veteran Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Idaho Posts: 5,492	Shooting upside down? I've got really bad knees and hips and there are many times I'll see something close to the ground that really catches my eye, but I know there's no way on God's green earth that I could get down on my belly and take the shot. This very situation happened to me earlier this week. I was out for a drive in the country, to some of my favorite spots.... the dirt roads along the banks of irrigation ditches in the farmland. There are all types of bushes, wildlife, weeds, wildflowers.... all kinds of stuff like that. Anyway, I digress. I was out walking along the ditch bank. It was dry other than a little moisture in the bottom from a recent rain. I spied a backlit clump of very lush green weeds and the sunlight coming through the leaves was very eye-catching. But, it was at ground level, and on the downhill slope inside of the ditch. No way I could get down to the level to take the shot. I scratched my head and then looked at the Beike ball head on my monopod. The monopod will extend to about 6 1/2 feet and I can swivel the camera in just about any angle I want. So, I extended it out full length, pre-focused the K-50 with the DA 35mm f:2.8 Limited Macro at about 18", set the camera on 12 second delay and reached out with the camera upside down, literally bumping the flash hump against the ground and waited for the shutter to trip. I had to take about half a dozen shots until I got the shot below. All I had to do when editing it was flip it vertically. The shot's certainly NOT anything worth writing home about, but I'll remember this handy way of getting these low angle shots in the future! I found an area not far away that had several hives of honey bees. They were swarming by the thousands, so I tried the same trick. After several attempts, I still hadn't got the shot I wanted, mostly because the sun was on the wrong side of the hives. But, this weekend, I'm going back and see if I can get some images of them using my new adaptation. I don't know.... maybe this is an old trick and I'm just preaching to the choir.... but, I thought I'd mention it anyway. Last edited by Dewman; 08-05-2017 at 04:11 PM.

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03-10-2016, 11:29 PM	#2
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Many tripods are made with reversible center columns to shoot upside-down for low angle stuff. My Giottos has an articulated column that is capable of swinging down between the lens to shoot inverted at the ground between the legs. It is a good technique to remember. Thanks for sharing. Steve

03-10-2016, 11:42 PM	#3
Dewman Veteran Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Idaho Posts: 5,492 Original Poster	Originally posted by stevebrot Many tripods are made with reversible center columns to shoot upside-down for low angle stuff. My Giottos has an articulated column that is capable of swinging down between the lens to shoot inverted at the ground between the legs. It is a good technique to remember. Thanks for sharing. Steve My Promaster tripod has the same feature you're revering to, but in this instance, it wouldn't work because it was a steep incline and it would have required me to climb down into the ditch to even try to set the tripod up. So, I was pretty much forced to use this method. Being able to reach that far out and down was quite an eye-opener! It's not the first time I've used the monopod for extending the camera over my head, like when at the Doobie Bros. concert a couple of years ago, but it was the first time I ever tried to reach out and down.... AND upside down.... to take a shot! Steve, I can't stand it any more! I've looked at your avatar for over three years now. I've copied it and enlarged it trying to figure out what in the heck it is.... and I STILL haven't a clue! Can you help me out? I know it's probably something as plain as the nose on my face, but for the life of me, I just can't figure it out!

03-11-2016, 12:13 AM	#4
npc Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 313	Originally posted by Dewman Steve, I can't stand it any more! I've looked at your avatar for over three years now. I've copied it and enlarged it trying to figure out what in the heck it is.... and I STILL haven't a clue! Can you help me out? I know it's probably something as plain as the nose on my face, but for the life of me, I just can't figure it out! seems like a bw closeup of a rose to me ... ---------- Post added 03-11-16 at 01:27 AM ---------- If you don't heed both hands to hold the monopod steadily maybe using one of those ir remote triggers will make it more convinient than setting a delay (can use AF as well if it makes sense to)

03-11-2016, 05:11 AM	#5
WPRESTO Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Massachusetts Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 59,142	Avatars reveal your true inner self, how you want people to think of you.

03-11-2016, 09:50 AM	#6
Newfie Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Posts: 65	Originally posted by WPRESTO Avatars reveal your true inner self, how you want people to think of you. Well in that case Wpresto, looking at your avatar ,and if I were female and met you in a bar I'd say "You do have a nice personality" ... ;-) Of course my avatar is blank ... pretty telling

03-11-2016, 09:52 AM	#7
bertwert Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Golden, BC Posts: 15,172	Originally posted by WPRESTO Avatars reveal your true inner self, how you want people to think of you. ...

03-11-2016, 11:12 AM	#8
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by Dewman Steve, I can't stand it any more! I've looked at your avatar for over three years now. I've copied it and enlarged it trying to figure out what in the heck it is.... and I STILL haven't a clue! Can you help me out? I know it's probably something as plain as the nose on my face Plain as a rose in a vase? Steve

03-11-2016, 11:54 AM	#9
atupdate Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Dayton, OH Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,724	Originally posted by Dewman I don't know.... maybe this is an old trick and I'm just preaching to the choir.... but, I thought I'd mention it anyway. Ground level shots with a wide angle can be fun also. Now that I've purchased an IR remote, I have to keep this trick in mind (it will be a lot easier on the knees). Tim

03-11-2016, 12:16 PM	#10
narual Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: South Bend (Notre Dame), Indiana Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,988	Originally posted by stevebrot Plain as a rose in a vase? Huh. I always thought it was a black and white of Antelope Canyon. ---------- Post added 03-11-16 at 02:19 PM ---------- This is a situation where the flucard might have actually come in handy (linked to a phone obviously, you'd need a third hand for a tablet; and assuming your camera body supported it). You'd be able to see what the camera saw, adjust for the exact composition you want, more precisely focus, and all that, minimal guesswork required.

03-11-2016, 01:48 PM	#11
a5m Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2015 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 576	Originally posted by Newfie Well in that case Wpresto, looking at your avatar ,and if I were female and met you in a bar I'd say "You do have a nice personality" ... ;-) That is the nicest way of putting it if I understood your post correctly.

03-11-2016, 03:19 PM	#12
clackers Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Melbourne Photos: Albums Posts: 16,397	And you can hold it up on the monopod over a crowd, of course.

Shooting upside down?

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