Photography Tip: The Hip Shot

The hip shot has been around for years, but was just recently brought up in conversation with some friends of mine who also enjoy photography. They were telling me that while in a mall the hip shot is a perfect way to snap a photo.

Having just had the conversation I put it to test while in Jasper this past August. Walking down the crowed streets I could simply take photos and no one would even notice. I have learned there are a couple of reasons why the hip shot can be a creative way to take photos.

The first being the obvious, no one knows you are doing it. If you are like me and like candid portraits of people than this is perfect. The second thing is the angle. Most of our photos are taken from eye level when we are standing up, it is so common. It also doesn’t make a photo look very special, unless you are an amazing photographer. So shooting at a different level than what the eye can see adds a bit of creativity.

This photo was taken at hip level as I walked down the street. He was on the other side, just hanging out. What do you think? Have you tried the hip shot?