I just want to talk a little about shooting from the hip. If your unsure as to what this is I’ll explain now. Quite simply you are shooting your camera from hip level or maybe from chest level or any other level for that matter, just not eye level and especially not through the viewfinder.
I have tried this technique many times before but i really try to avoid it like the plague now when I’m walking the streets. The reason for me avoiding this technique is that i believe its a bit like the zoom lens from across the street, the easy way out if you will. Yes if i have to get the shot I’m after at all costs then i would probably use it and hopefully get the desired results, but thats the thing you are hoping to get the picture not knowing that you WILL get it. I find that there is to much luck involved unless you really are a master at it.
I also think street photographers use this technique of shooting when they haven’t built up the confidence to bring the camera to the eye, use the viewfinder and properly compose the image, that was always the case when i used shooting from the hip in the past. Confidence and street photography go hand in hand with regards to the more you have the better your pictures will start becoming. See my post on building confidence to find out more.
As i said previously there are many of times in the past where i have taken photographs that were shot from the hip when i really lacked confidence and had no self belief. I’d go out all day and not bring the camera to my eye and look through the viewfinder once. I would get home and look at the images on my LCD screen and immediately regret that I had shot that way. At times there has been a great opportunity to catch a great moment on camera and haven’t managed to get it. The image below is just one near miss that i believe if i had the confidence and took the time to properly compose through the viewfinder i could of ended up with a really good image in my opinion.
An example of shooting from the hip and why I think it’s not a good idea.
So take my advice people, grow some balls and stop shooting from the hip. Give yourself the best chance of getting the shot you want by looking through the viewfinder. The more you are shooting from the hip the less confident you are going to become. The reason being is that you are getting less ‘good’ photographs and as the days go by your confidence levels are dropping but because they are low you will go out and shoot from the hip the very next day and so the vicious circle continues.
Give yourself a kick up the butt and use that viewfinder today, you wont regret it.
Ashley Linford
Ashley Linford 