Posted by David McCall on 08/10/07 18:00

<rgould9@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1186763833.006401.195550@j4g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> This may seem like an odd question, but it's been on my mind for a
> long time.
>
> How would you shoot something at a complete 90 degree angle, in a
> "bird's eye view", meaning completely overhead?
>
> I mean something quite simple, like a map, a table setting, a sink
> where someone is washing their hands.
>
> I can't figure out a reasonable way to have the camera stabilized
> completely "overhead" -- just a couple feet above the subject so I
> have a nice clean frame of the object with no "tilt" to it.
>
> If you put a tripod near it and tilt it down it doesn't look like what
> I am going for.
>
> The only idea I have now is to take a monopod, put the camera on it,
> and stabilize the monopod on a ladder step by clamping the monopod to
> the ladder. It might work, but it's quite a cowboy solution.
>
> Is there some kind of device that would let me get this kind of shot?
>
> Gould
>
The way they used to do it for cooking show and the like, was to
hang a large first surface mirror over the subject and shoot the
reflection in the mirror. Of course the picture will be flipped, but
you can flip the scan on some cameras, and most non-linear
editing programs will do that as well. Much easier done in a studio
than on location. Cameras are much lighter these days so it is
practical to put the camera on a jib arm or small crane and
shoot it from overhead.

David

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