I’m pretty sure this is my favorite angle right. Taking a picture from the ground gives you such a unique perspective and makes for a more interesting shot than most of our everyday shots. And PS – you don’t have to be on your belly! You can get the same results by holding your camera at the ground level.
If you still haven’t done this, give it a try! My purpose in putting a photo challenge here on my blog once in a while is to encourage you to try something different with your camera. Most of you reading this right now love either taking pictures or doing something with your pictures, or (hopefully) both. The more we expand our skills in taking pictures, the more we’ll enjoy the hobby, and the more we’ll want to document our life. And that’s so much about what I love. And what you love.
Out of all the submissions you sent for this challenge (not a contest, but a challenge) … these were my favorite shots. I tried to do a top 10 (round number, popular number … I don’t know) and seriously couldn’t let one more picture go. It was hard enough narrowing down this far. So many super cool shots. Great job, everyone!
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Photo by Amy: Tea party, anyone?
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Photo by Abby: Sidewalk chalk. Digging the composition.
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Photo by Judy: Oh happy day!
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Photo by Melissa: She was watching her 2 nephews and found them like this. After snapping the picture she asked what they were doing. The youngest replied, “Yooking at da bug. It’s disgusting!”
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Photo by Megan: According to her, Anna Maria Island, Florida is one of the coolest places to shell in the morning. I can’t imagine why. ; )
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Photo by Meggan: Awww. Every kid falls asleep on the floor once in a while. This is for sure the best angle to capture that when it happens.
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Photo by Cinta: I don’t know what’s better — the photograph itself or the fact that you can see his little lips puckered to say “choo choo”!
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Photos by Kim: She took both of these shots — very different activities — in the same day. First of all, who can say they’ve taken a shot like this in the classroom? I’m so going to do that. Love it. The other shot is from her yoga class. Isn’t that beautiful?
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Photo by Stacy: I have to share what she said in her email. I hope you will feel inspired by reading this:
“I adore this photograph. It showcases an everyday mess in our home … and us trying to make the best of it. Life with a small child is not grand and opulent. But I am very grateful that I have the chance to witness these tiring days – and to document these humdrum moments that are sprinkled with magic. Photographing the everyday moments in our life has taught me that we don’t need grandeur and niceties. I’ve always thought that I needed a grand story to tell. I’ve learned that our life is the grand story. Our very existence. Our humdrum days. Our everyday moments. Our life.”
Amen Stacy. Amen.
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Photo by Erin: Now that’s a photo from the ground. Her husband and 5 others rode their bicycles 207 miles from Phoenix to Rocky Point, Mexico to raise money and awareness for the poverty stricken in Rocky Point. Erin says, “When my husband looks at this picture he says it makes his body hurt because he can feel the bumps in the road!”
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Last but not least … I’m going to name this my absolute favorite submission for this challenge (and will send her a Project Life kit) …
Photo by Susan: Oh how I love the simplicity, the slight reflection on the floor, the fact that a couple toys are scattered about, the way her baby seems to be dancing, the cropped comfy pants, the closeness of mom + baby, and the overall way this seems to capture just a tiny glimpse of motherhood.
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I’m so inspired. Thank you for all your submissions.
Tags: creative angle, ground shot, photo challenge
Beautiful.
Great shots! I love them all as well! I love the classroom one too and plan to take a shot like that! Very creative that one is!
And speaking of that. I wanted to ask you if you have ever come across this situation I am about to mention when you have done this project with your kidos class.
I have 2 kids in elementary school (my junior high and high schoolers, all 3 girls, have informed me that it is not “cool” to have your mom come and do that….ha!)
I guess like they say, all good things come to an end at some point. Anyway, this happened in my elementary kids’ class, just my one, my 4th grader, my 1st grader I had no problem. First off, as per our district policy, we have to give our permission for our kids to be photographed, videoed, etc. It’s a form we get every year at registration. In my 4th graders class, there were 2 kids parents that had said no on their form. I cannot believe that, I just feel that leaves them out of so much, yearbook, etc. So, knowing that this is more a class project type thing, the teacher and I agreed that it would be nice if I sent home a little letter stating what I was doing, maybe if they saw it was a memory book for their kid, they would agree. Well, I figured they would absolutely want to have their kid involved in this. I couldn’t have been more wrong!
Both set of parents said no! I didn’t know what to think or to say! Turns out one set is going through a really nasty divorce and the mom wants the kid to participate, and the dad doesn’t. The other is a single parent and for some reason doesn’t want her kids photo “out there” no where, like at all. Okay….so sad, to me, really is. I mean, from what the teacher has said, both kids want to do this and now when we do, they have to be left out. What does that do for them? You got to think that is going to affect them somehow. I know I will feel so awful like I am the one leaving them out.
We haven’t even started ours yet in his 4th grade class because I was waiting on these forms and all. But, tomorrow will be the day for us to start for the month of September.
So, have you encountered anything like that in doing this project with your kids? Do yall even have that permission form thing. I think that is silly, but I guess to each his own. It seems like a school district thing, and maybe it’s not everywhere. Then again, maybe it’s a 4th grade kind of thing. With my 1st grader, I decided to send home a letter (like the one I did, mentioned above) just to let the parents know we were going to do this and what it was all about. I got awesome feedback from them, according to the teacher, they were so excited about it and how nice of me to do this and they cannot wait to see the end result, you name it. Very receptive to it!
I just feel so bad for those other 2 kids in my son’s class. Tomorrow when I go, having to leave them out because of what their parents have decided on. It just doesn’t seem fair.
Where I live we have the FOIP Act. It’s called the Freedom and Protection of Privacy Act and every year, at both my kids’ schools we are required to sign documents saying whether or not we authorize the use of our kids photos, recordings of them, their work of any kind. It’s not very often that parents do not sign these forms unless it’s like you said – messy divorces, custody battles, etc.. It is very unfortunate for these kids that they will not be able to fully participate but hopefully you will be able to work around that issue and the kids will still have a great memento of their year. Good luck to you!
I have to admit, having discovered the world of blogs I am now more nervous about people taking photos of my child lest they put them up on their blog for the world to see,,,
It used to be that photos might be shown to a few family friends in an album in the family home, now they can be put up on their internet for the world to see.
Our school also has the form to feel out. Then I also assured both teachers and classes that the pictures would not be on the internet anywhere. They would be used just to simply make the scrapbooks for them.
As a way of including the kids who aren’t allowed to have their picture taken, would it be possible to take pictures of THINGS associated with the activities their scrapbook (their desks, stage of the school play, school bus ect)?
It’s unfortunate that any kid has to be excluded from an activity, especially when it’s due to something outside their own control (even sometimes the parents control), so hopefully you can come up with a way to make them feel included.
Can you take pictures of the backs of them? Does that count?? That will be so hard and I know those kids will feel left out, but perhaps if they ask you why they are unable to be involved, you can explain that their parents made that decision and they will have to ask them about it. It is a tough situation……
Wonderful shots !
Kim, I can’t believe that a parents would not allow their child to be photographed, I was the “camera mom” going on the field trips and taking pics of all the kids so I could share them with the parents who were unable to attend, always getting a big thank you fro them…
what a fun photo assignment! a change in perspective is so refreshing!
Kim,
Could they still participate in creating the scrapbook with the rest of the class, but leave the photos areas empty so their mothers could add photos later? Or maybe the kids could draw pictures rather then use a photo. That way they aren’t totally left out of the fun!
Very good idea Sherri! I think that will be great for them. I like the idea of having them color a picture of themselves doing the activity. I will suggest/mention that to the teacher. Should not be a problem there, not crossing any boundaries. Thanks so much for the input!
these are so lovely, thanks so much for inspiring us with these fun and creative challenges. love looking this is wonderful life from all sorts of angles!
Great pictures. Thanks for the challenge Becky. It helps me improve my photography skills and adds variety to my photos.
Kim–I was nervous about that too. My husband is an attorney and warned me to be prepared for this to happen. We sent a letter home with the kids on Friday, so I don’t know if there has been any feedback yet. I am planning on going in on Friday and get them started. The teacher is VERY excited so that is a big +.
Sherri—I love your idea. That is such a wonderful solution. THANK YOU!!!
Oh my goodness, Becky, what a fantastic way to take pictures! We homeschool so I’m going to go get my camera and get a picture of my boys’ feet as they sit at their desks. I love capturing our lives in different ways, getting different perspectives.
Last year when I did PL, you had stood on a chair and had taken a picture of pizza (I think it was your dinner for that day) and at the time I thought that that was a perfect way to capture the moment. You inspired me for a year with that picture! Now, even though I chose to take a year off from PL (why did I do that??), I feel inspired again.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this post!
Pam
What if you asked each of the parent that are objecting to provide a disposable camera. You could take the child’s picture and then the camera could be returned to the parent, who could then develop the images and affix them into the memory book. The parent would have full control.
Love the ground pics…been doing that for a while…thought it was a different way of seeing things…my family thought I was nuts for doing it so I’m glad I’m not the only nut…just kidding!…would love to see some video of some of your projects…visual always does more for me than directions…love to watch things done instead of the usual step by step…remember the “Happy Painter” on PBS??…when he would use that fan brush to cover all the trees in snow…anyways, digressing here…love all your ideas though! Great inspiration.Thanx
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I’ve been trying to photograph my very speedy 15 month old grandson. By the time I get my big camera out he’s on to something new. I tried having it out and ready but then he wants to play with the camera. Are there any small, easy cameras out there that take good photos? I need something less obvious than my big, black, Cannon EOS. I did get a cute one of his feet while he played with blocks. Thanks, Jill
Hi Becky,
I look forward everyday to reading your blog. I am taking a POTD for project life and when i look back at all my pictures they seem dark in color. You’ve mention before about editing your photos. Do you edit all the photos you take? I have a standard point and shoot camera that i keep on auto setting. Any suggestions for lighter, more vibrant color?
Thanks,
Nicole
Wow! I love all these shots! I’m going to have to try some of them.
Wow, these are all amazing shots. Love them! I feel very inspired.
I absolutly love your photos. ALL OF THEM! I just had one question. I am in the market for a DSLR for my trip to Brazil in February and I wanted to know what camera you use.
Becky, I am so loving tese photo challenges, keep’em comming, I had no time to submit the photo, but it was sucha great idea for my 4 year old’s first day at preschool walking into the classroom (without sayng goodbye btw)
Thanks for the great inspiration
I really love the shot that Meggan took of her son sleeping on the floor. The angle really makes that shot.
I just love what Stacy said. It resounds in my soul over and again and I want to post it as a reminder that the potty training puddles on the floor and the slept in tusseled beds are parts of a happy life, not the things I should get crazy about. These shots are lovely and inspiring. I can’t wait to get down low!
Hey Becky…i just wanted to let you know you inspired me to take a picture from the ground level. See..we were on a family outing on an unpaved road. I managed to hit a kinda large rock and blew the tire! The pic I took from the ground was my flat tire with my husband crouched down next to it, teaching my 9-year-old son how to change the tire! The best part, my sweet loving husband looked and me and laughed and all he said was, “You want me to drive?” I am one blessed girl! And, I would post that pic for you…except I have no earthly idea how to do that! (Maybe my husband will do that for me, too!!!)
[...] before. A few recent photo challenges: Reflection in November, Look Down in October, Table Top and From the Ground in [...]