Everywhere we go it seems like people want to take photos of each other jumping in the air! And why not? It’s great fun and you can get some really fun and energetic photos this way.
Based on the number of people who seem to try to take the same photo over and over it seems people don’t understand how to take photographs this way. There are so many failed attempts that we thought we’d put together some tips on how to take these photos properly.
Get close
The closer you are the better your jumping photo will look. The subject will look as though they are much higher in the air and the effect will be more pronounced. In this photo I was using a wide angle lens and I was quite close.
Get low
The same applies here, the lower you are the better your jumping photo will look. Again, the subject will look like they are much higher in the air and the overall effect will be more energetic.
Use a flash
If you can, use a flash to help freeze the action. Using the flash adds more light and makes it much easier for your camera to shoot an image that isn’t blurry. If no flash was used in this image it simply would not have worked at all. This photo was taken inside a massive tree.
Learn your camera’s timing
If your camera is not a DSLR there may be a delay between pressing the shutter and when the photo is actually taken. The trick is the learn the delay between when you push the button and when the photo is shot. Most point and shoot cameras have some kind of delay because of their auto-focus system. Once you have this delay mastered your jumping photos will be dramatically improved.
Do the countdown
Tell your subjects that you will countdown from three and say jump in order to get the timing right. So you’d say something like 3,2,1,JUMP! You may have to do this a few times to get the timing right. Interestingly many people say things like “ready? go!” or “ok, JUMP!” which clearly doesn’t work.
Shoot Portrait not Landscape
If you shoot your image in portrait as opposed to landscape you’ll exaggerate the height of the jump. You’ll also have a better chance of catching the action given it’s quite an up and down… Also, be sure to include some of the floor or ground in the image to show more height.
Strike a Pose
Tell the person you’re photography to do a funny ‘move’ or ‘pose’ when they’re in the air. It will make for a more dynamic image.
There are even websites dedicated to jumping photos:
http://justjumpingphotos.com
http://www.jumpingphotos.com
I took all the photos in this post and had lots of fun doing it. We hope you enjoy taking your jumping pictures as well.