Worm’s eye view photography means looking up at a subject from a very low camera position, often near the ground. A blade of grass can fill the foreground, while trees or buildings tower above it. The viewpoint gives familiar subjects a different sense of scale.
You don’t need a special lens or a tall subject. Start with the camera you have, lower it below your subject, and angle it upwards. These five tips will help you choose the background, control the light, and keep the right details in focus.
What Is Worm’s Eye View Photography?
A worm’s eye view is an upward-looking perspective from below your subject. It is usually more extreme than an ordinary low-angle shot, which can be taken from anywhere below eye level. You can point straight up, but a sloping view towards a flower or building also works.
The name describes the camera’s viewpoint, so you don’t have to lie on the ground. You can crouch, use a tilting screen, or photograph a subject on higher ground. What matters is where the camera sits in relation to the subject and the direction it faces. A bird’s eye view looks down from above instead.
Try looking up through grass, beneath a flower, or into a forest canopy. With architecture, an upward angle can make vertical lines appear to converge towards the top of the frame. Use that effect to emphasize height, rather than assuming every building must look perfectly upright.
© Jordan Hipwell
How to Take Worm’s Eye View Photos: Five Beginner Tips
Before you adjust your camera settings, find a safe place for the camera and check the scene from its height:
- Choose a subject you can photograph from below, such as a flower, tree, or building.
- Lower the camera and tilt it upwards. A phone works too; use its screen to compose the shot.
- Move a little left, right, forwards, or backwards to separate the subject from the background.
- Support the camera, set focus on the subject, and take a test photo. Check sharpness and exposure before trying another angle.
Keep yourself and your equipment out of roads and busy paths. Use a dry, stable support if you put the camera down, and keep the lens clear of dirt and water. Don’t flatten plants to make room for the shot.
© BertK212
1. Expose for Your Subject and the Sky
Looking up often puts a bright sky behind a darker subject. Decide which needs the detail: the flower or building, the sky, or a deliberate silhouette. A photo can have the right brightness for one and lose detail in the other.
You don’t have to shoot in manual mode. Aperture priority (A or Av) lets you choose the aperture while the camera sets the shutter speed. Check the result and use exposure compensation to make it brighter or darker when needed. Manual mode is another option if you want to control both settings yourself.
For a distant building or tree canopy, try f/8 as a starting point if you want more of the scene in focus. A wider aperture can suit a close flower or low-light scene, but it also reduces depth of field. Choose the aperture for the image, not simply because the camera points up.
Watch the shutter speed. Use a fast shutter speed for moving leaves or people, or if your low position makes the camera hard to hold steady. Keep ISO low when the light allows, but raise it if that is what you need to avoid movement blur. These settings work together in the exposure triangle.
If the sky loses detail, reduce the exposure and take another test shot. If that leaves your subject too dark, try a different angle, softer light, or a silhouette. Moving can also keep direct sunlight out of the lens and reduce flare.
© Kyle Bushell
2. Choose a Lens for the Framing You Want
The low camera position creates the worm’s eye viewpoint. Focal length changes how much of the scene fits in the frame; moving the camera changes the relationship between near and distant objects. Don’t expect a lens change alone to turn an eye-level photo into a worm’s eye view.
Start with your existing lens and choose the framing that suits the subject:
- A wide-angle lens includes more of a canopy, ceiling, or group of buildings. Getting close can make foreground objects look large beside the background. Check the edges of the frame for stretched-looking shapes.
- A standard lens can isolate a smaller part of the scene, such as one tree or a section of a building. It is also a good way to avoid including unwanted objects around the subject.
- A telephoto lens gives a narrower view of a distant subject. Telephoto describes a lens’s focal length; it does not mean the lens must zoom. Both fixed-focal-length and zoom options exist.
- A fisheye lens deliberately curves lines for a different look. That effect is optional, rather than a requirement for this technique.
With people, check proportions before taking the final photo. A foot or hand very close to the camera can dominate the frame. Move back if that is not the effect you want.
© Daniela Micali
3. Build the Composition from Ground Level
A lower viewpoint changes what sits behind your subject. Use composition to make that change work for the photo, rather than just pointing up and hoping for a strong result.
For flowers, move until the bloom stands out against a clear patch of sky. A small sideways move may remove a distracting stem or branch. Check the whole outline of the subject, especially where it overlaps the background.
For trees and architecture, look for lines that lead upwards. Trunks, building edges, and repeated windows can guide the eye into the frame. Photographing between several trees can create a pattern around an opening in the canopy.
Use the rule of thirds when an off-centre subject gives a stronger arrangement. For a symmetrical ceiling or a balanced view between buildings, a centred composition may work better. Neither approach is a rule you must follow in every shot.
Pay attention to the foreground. Grass or leaves can frame the subject, but they can also hide it. Leave some empty sky around a flower if that helps its shape stand out. Compare a horizontal and a vertical frame before you settle on one.
© Aldino Hartan
4. Support the Camera and Use a Remote or Timer
An awkward low position can make it difficult to keep the camera steady. Use a tripod that can sit low enough, or place the camera securely on a dry, stable support. A monopod may help with some angles, but keep hold of it and check the result for camera shake.
A compatible remote trigger or shooting app lets you take the photo without pressing the camera’s shutter button. A short self-timer delay can also reduce camera shake from that press. Neither method stops the subject moving, so you still need a suitable shutter speed.
Set and check focus after positioning the camera. A timer delays the shot; it is not a universal focus-lock control. Check how your camera focuses in timer or remote mode, and refocus if the subject or camera moves. For portraits, have the person in the intended position when you check focus.
A tilting screen can make low framing easier without lying down. If your screen is fixed, take a test photo and review it before changing the camera position. Keep the support stable while you make adjustments.
© Flax Linacaea
5. Set the Depth of Field and Focus Deliberately
Choose the focal point first. For a close flower, that might be the petals or the centre of the bloom. Place the focus point there rather than allowing the camera to choose a nearer blade of grass.
A shallow depth of field can separate flowers from the background. Open the aperture if you want that effect, then check that enough of the flower is sharp. Working very close makes the in-focus area smaller, so a wide aperture will not suit every close-up.
For buildings or a canopy, a smaller aperture generally brings more of the scene into acceptable focus. It does not guarantee that nearby grass and distant treetops will both be sharp. Check the foreground and background in the test photo, then adjust focus, aperture, or camera position to suit what matters most.
Keep focus and movement blur separate. A tripod can steady the camera, but a flower swaying in the wind still needs a short enough exposure. Wait for a lull or increase the shutter speed if the details keep blurring.
© Rodion Kutsaev
Conclusion
Worm’s eye view photography starts with a low camera position and an upward view. Try the same subject at eye level and from below, then compare its shape, scale, and background. A flower, a tree, or a building is enough for a first attempt.
Keep the camera stable, choose the part of the subject that needs to be sharp, and adjust exposure for the light you actually have. You can practise with minimal kit; changing your viewpoint is the first step.
Check out our Shooting Skies ebook to ensure the best-looking skies in your worm’s eye view photography!
The images in this article are provided by unsplash.com.