Shoot A Bug's Eye View

Jason Parnell-Brookes gets down low with this quick botanical photography project that gives you a unique view of nature

- Jason Parnell-Brookes

This issue we freshened up our botanical photography with this handy little project to give our shots a completely new perspective. We nestled our Nikon in amongst the ferns in a shaded woodland, and used a wide-angle lens to accentuate the feeling of crawling amongst the leaves.

The trick is to get the Nikon as low down as possible and aim it skyward, preferably with the sky shaded by the canopy above. Head out on a sunny day, but aim for a shaded spot away from direct sunlight. Trees provide good cover, but opt for the edge of a forest where it’s brighter as the light falls off the further into a forest you go. In the shade the shadows are soft and flattering; gone are the bright highlights and dark shadows of the contrasty direct light.