I love my 18 to 300 mm lens. I use it all the time because I don’t like to change lenses in the field. How many of you use a zoom lens? Now what would happen if you had a fixed lens and had to walk forward, backward or sideways to get the shot?

You would have to think a bit more before you decided to squat down. It depends on how difficult it would be to get up! For me, it’s very difficult and not very pretty, but sometimes I do it to get the shot. Your challenge this week is to move your body up, down, forward and back.

Here are three photographs that I bent down and stood up for. This was my first time out with my Nikon D3100 and were taken at a balloon festival. It was the first time using my camera in the field. How excited I was. In the beginning, I laid on the ground, then got up and at last looked up. The first two are the same balloon, the third is not; but you get the idea.

Next, we are going to start close to the subject and then walk back to get a different view. Moving back does tell a different story. These were taken at Ananda Village during their tulip festival that they hold every April.

Now for the lotus blossoms. One was taken while I was squatting so I could get the light on the petals. The other was taken standing over the flower so I could get the bud.

Next at Lassen National Park’s Sulphur Springs area, I walked back for a shot of the Sulphur pool and then came up to the fence and looked over the area for the bubbling Sulphur.

Fortunately, the smell wasn’t as bad as the Sulphur pools at Yellowstone National Park!

These movements are one reason I like photography for seniors. It’s exercise! Younger folks can also take advantage of extra exercise! So, get out there and squat, bend down, and walk!

When you post your response to this challenge, please link it to mine and use the Lens-Artists tag.

We built a lot of bridges with Beth’s challenge last week, and I thoroughly enjoyed the variety. Next week, Ritva will be leading the challenge, so look for her post. In the meantime, stay safe and be resilient!

50 thoughts on “Lens Artists Challenge #415: Move Your Body”

  4. 24 – 200 zoom. Not as heavy as many snd heavierbthan my Nikon Z5ìi. I ditched my heavy DSLRs as was determind to travel light yet remain flexible..and flexible is something I am no longer. Yep, its gets harder getting down low and even harder getting up….and I thought I had kept myself fit, sadly not fit enough. But my moto now is keep it simple, keep it light…and to remind myself I am not as young as I sometimes think I am. Love the Ballon shots. 😁

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  5. Wonderful gallery, Anne. Thank you for the excellent theme. It is great to think of setting up a photo to tell stories. Love your hot air balloon images. Vivid colors and you captured the sense of height perfectly in the third image in that set.

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  10. Lovely challenge and so apropos for many of us kinesthetic photographers who bend, squat and tilt just to get the right angle. I managed to incorporate your challenge into my Sunday Stills challenge! The balloon shots are awesome, Anne, I would have laid down too!

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  11. A great challenge, Anne.

    I suspect most photographers have had that experience of moving around to capture the shot. One step to the left. A few inches to the right. (in my case step onto a garden bed in the RBG, first making sure no RBG staff were around).

    I love the balloon shots and the lotus blossoms. Looking up (to hot air balloons) is also one of my own experiences.

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    1. Thanks Rupali! I started with the D3100, then moved up to the D7100 and finally ended up with the Fuji XT3. I think the Fuji has better color and it is lighter. I gave my D3100 to my daughter-in-law, and still have the 7100.

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  15. Great challenge – and a very efficient way to improve one’s photos! Just two weeks ago, we spent a week near Calais, France, and had decided to use nothing but a 24mm/1.8 prime lens throughout our trip. After years of not being quite happy with the pictures I took with the “travel zoom”, this was quite the improvement. Moving around a subject forces me to connect to more thoroughly (and maybe if you can’t be bothered to “do the dance”, the picture was not worth making in the first place).

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  18. I like my Nikon zooms as they save time and weight. Taking a camera out for a walk, too, is a great way to look more closely at the world around you. It also reminds you of your age – do I really want to get down if I am not so sure about getting up? Your stories and photos work well together!

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  21. Anne, this is such a fun post and fun challenge. Your balloon images are great and I love the church. I can just imagine you laying on the ground to get that shot! I like the lotus blossom and hot springs, too. I hope I can get out to move my body for a few new shots. If not, I know I have some in my archives.

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  22. I totally understand the bending down issue. A few years ago that wouldn’t have been an issue for me but time catches up. I’m glad digital cameras often have a movable screen so it’s often enough to bend over and let your hands hang low and still be able to see what photo you’re taking. – I love your close up tulip the most amongst your great photos!

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    1. Thank you! It seems that many of us are having aging issues. Here’s an idea: carry a large kid’s block (they don’t weigh much) and set your camera on it for a down low photo. Of course you’d have to put the block in something!

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  23. I love those lotus flowers, especially the backlit version! And you make a very good point – not only does moving around often result in better photos, it’s also good for us 😀 I won’t be able to join in this week as I’m travelling, but I’m sure you’ll get lots of great responses.

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