By far the most common domestic shank type, the low shank foot has basically won out in the "Battle of the Shanks". With the exception of Bernina machines today, nearly all modern domestic sewing machines use this shank type.

So what happens if you can't find a specific specialty foot for your shank system? Thankfully, you're not totally out of options. A number of adaptors are available to allow high shank and Kenmore super high shank machines to use low shank feet. Bernina even has two different adaptors to low shank feet. Unfortunately, you can't go the other way around and use an adaptor to use high shank feet on a low shank machine. It's physically not possible... unless you change your presser bar height. But let's save that for a future article.

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The first and most intuitive use is to generate the opposite effect of low angle. If the low angle increases the character empowering him, the low angle decreases, making him vulnerable (or other feeling related).

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Below I’ve compared the same scene from different angles to demonstrate how the choice of angle makes a difference in the message the photograph conveys. The first photo was taken at a very subtle low angle (almost eye level). The biker becomes the main subject in the photo. When this scene is captured from a higher angle, the rider remains the main subject, but now he is inserted in an environment and this combination generates new meanings for the viewer.

While industrial high shank feet tend to be much more solidly built, you do have to be careful as sometimes the fit isn't always universal. On the flip side they are relatively inexpensive compared to low shank feet and especially Bernina feet. You can often buy a whole set of these for the cost of one Bernina foot!

There is another use for the high angle. It can be used to convey feelings to the viewer, in general, exploring every human’s natural fear of heights. Using the extreme high angle can simulate this terror and establish tension.

Bernina presser feet sit in a class of their own. Foregoing the classic thumbscrew attachment, these feet are attached via a proprietary locking lever. Genuine Bernina feet are some of the highest quality (and most expensive) feet available today. Even the reproductions tend to be very nice. Below is an excerpt from my Bernina 830 Record review.

Aerial photos are photos taken from a higher vantage point than the one framed in the photo. This is a variation of the high-angle shots, but here we raise our camera even higher until we reach an unusual viewing angle for the normal human context. For this reason, this angle is also known as the bird’s view or God’s view. It is precisely this way of looking at things out of the ordinary that allows us to use it to convey different sensations and create emotional, philosophical or expressive photos, depending on how you compose the scene.

Let’s talk a little bit about using camera angles in photography. This subject isn’t new at BrickCentral. Recently (August 2021) we had the monthly challenge #bc_pov (from @Nocturnelle9) which refers to a camera angle “Point of View”. In July 2020, @Foolishbricks talked about this in one of his tips. I strongly recommend revisiting these.

Let’s look at some examples. They are all simple images, yet they allow eye-level contact to transmit feelings immediately to the viewer, even though there is no direct “eye-to-eye” contact (minifigure in profile or from the back).

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Usually when people talk about presser feet, they're talking about the whole slew of feet types that accomplish different specialty functions like zipper feet, or buttonhole feet. However, regardless of function, each presser foot attaches to your machine at the shank via a thumbscrew or a separate mounting mechanism. Over the years, shank shape and height have evolved depending on the manufacturer. More importantly, each machine only works with presser feet made for its specific shank type.

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But before all of that, back in the 50s, Singer developed the Slant Shank System in an effort to differentiate themselves from the pack.

The next time you’re shooting, consider what kind of emotion you want to convey and choose an angle that favors that. You may also struggle to shoot at angles that are unusual for you. This is a great tool to develop creativity.

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Low-angle shots are often used to convey power, and depending on your subject, that power can be a good thing or a bad thing. It can also be used to convey an idea of transcendence, depending on the composition of the scene.

This is part 3 of an ongoing series. In Part 1 we looked at feed dogs, needle plates and adjustable presser foot pressure while Part 2 covered hook types and motors. Today we'll be looking at the somewhat confusing topic of presser foot shank type.

First introduced with the Singer 301a, slant shank feet are a proprietary Singer system used only by their Slant-O-Matics. This would include the Singer 401, 500a Rocketeer and later Touch and Sew models. This new and 'improved' system was purported to provide better visibility of the needle. The Singer 301a was originally marketed to educators and schools and the slant shank system was meant to lock schools into buying only Singer. It was Singer's belief that the education system would produce a whole new generation of sewers raised on slant shanks who would then buy into this proprietary system. Pretty ingenious if you think about it.

No longer in production, these are far less common than slant shank feet. Super high shank feet are somewhat difficult to find especially as singletons, so be prepared to purchase a whole bundle of Kenmore attachments if you're hunting for a specific foot. It's worth noting, that many of the super high shank Kenmore models have a left of center straight stitch needle position.

In the examples, it is easy to see how the low angle generates empowerment as in the image of the king and the prancing horse. This holds even if the character is scared like in the fisherman’s photo. On the other hand, in the photograph of the explorer and the elephant, the angle brings a sense of transcendence, of a superior contact with the surrounding nature.

While this is a basic subject, camera angles are much more than the mere position of your photographic equipment. The way you frame the characters or theme conveys a message to the viewer. A simple camera angle can add drama, perspective, and a level of sophistication to your photography. You can take advantage of these tools to enhance the feelings you seek to convey (powerful, vulnerable, intimate…), whether to create more emotional scenes or enhance the storytelling.

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DISCLAIMERLEGO is a trademark of The LEGO Group, which does not sponsor, authorize, or endorse this website.LEGO is a trademark of The LEGO Group, which does not sponsor, authorize, or endorse this website.

The length of the shank is just over an inch and the distance from the thumbscrew to the footbed is about an inch. While not nearly as common as the low shank foot, there have been so many slant shank Singers sold that manufacturers still produce slant shank reproduction feet. While your modern options are somewhat limited, there are still a decent variety of feet available.

You can combine the Dutch angle with any other camera angle, which makes this angle very versatile. But be careful with using this angle so that the misalignment is not confused with a framing error.

A low-angle shot is a shot from a camera angle positioned anywhere below the eye line, pointing upward. It can even be below the character’s feet which is called an extreme low angle shot.

Considering LEGO photography, the minifigures’ lack of articulation, especially the head (looking up), can make it difficult to take advantage of this angle. The dismemberment of the minifigures and the use of fixative putty can be a good tip to make the most of the dynamism that this angle and others can offer. I know this is criticized by some and overused by others. In short, it’s a matter of style. What I mean is that this feature is very useful when coupled with extreme angles, particularly in terms of head position.

Hot on the heels of Singer, Sears Roebuck & Co.'s line of Kenmore sewing machines were not to be outdone. Produced in Maruzen, Japan, 158.x series of Kenmores were more feature rich than their Singer counterparts. While the bulk of their machines were low shank, a number of their higher end offerings like the Kenmore 158.1803s and 158.1914s (to name a few) started using a new proprietary shank system, the Kenmore Super High Shank. Not to be confused with the similar looking Singer slant shank, the two types are not interchangeable. The distance between the thumbscrew and the foot bed is about 1 1/4 inch.

LEGO is one of the toys that allows you to transmit a lot of emotions due to the facial expressions of the heads that can be recombined, so take advantage of this incredible feature.

The use of the Dutch angle is meant to indicate to the viewer that something is wrong, disoriented or disturbing. This angle distorts the audience’s perspective, creating a bond with the same orientation experienced by the character in the scene. This can also be used in action or emotional scenes as it helps to increase the dynamism.

Historically, the Singer Manufacturing Company led the pack in vintage sewing machine production. The vast majority of Singers used a low shank foot, however, if I had to hazard a guess, I'd say it was the Singer Model 15--cloned many times over--which ultimately led to the wide spread use of the low shank system. After WWII, Japan was gifted the plans to Singer's Class 15 design in an effort to jumpstart their economy. Japanese manufacturers would copy and improve upon this design and were later able to undercut Western competition. The rest is history. One by one, Western sewing manufacturers closed shop and years later, the Asian sewing machine industry dominates global production.

A high-angle shot is when the camera looks down on the character or subject from an elevated perspective. This can range from a shallow angle just above eye level all the way to directly above the subject. The high angle can mean many things and it depends a lot on the scene set.

High shank feet are the industrial sewing standard. There are a few industrials that use other types of feet, but this is far and away the most common. Some domestic machines, like Necchis, use high shank feet as well. As industrial sewing is so specialized, myriad specialty feet are available. It isn't at all uncommon for garment manufacturers to custom weld their own specialty feet. If you're looking for a presser foot system with tons of specialty options, the high shank system is the way to go.

These are specific to Pfaff industrials and not common at all. I've included it here simply to illustrate that there are additional shank systems out there. I'm not really sure why these were made because the Pfaff industrials can also use regular high shank feet. These are virtually impossible to find nowadays and while reproductions are being made, their fit is suspect. Even if you can find genuine parts, these are prohibitively expensive.

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Here is a comparison of each of the presser foot types I've discussed thus far. From left to right: Pfaff super high shank foot, Kenmore super high shank foot, Bernina foot, high shank foot, slant shank foot, and low shank foot. When it comes to fit, it should be abundantly clear that shank type matters!

LEGO minifigures are very small and it can be difficult to get a low angle. The best way is to place the subject at a higher level or position the camera below the level of the composition, but this greatly limits framing. This won’t be a problem if you use a smartphone, just turn it upside down and you’ll get it.

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This angle can also be used without the elevation being so high as to lose intimacy with the character. Through the overhead shot (a high angle shot almost directly or literally directly above the subject) it is possible for the viewer to see the scene “from the outside” but still maintain a deep connection with the character. Understand this as if the spectator were the very “eye of God” watching that character stuck in the world and probing his deepest feelings.Therefore, this angle can also be used to convey intense emotions.

This is considered a normal angle and is intuitive: eye-level shot is when the level of your camera is placed at the same height as the eyes of the characters in your frame.  This simulates standard human vision and creates a familiar relationship between the viewer and the character. This can be used to convey familiarity and humanize the scene, to create empathy and a certain intimacy with the character. Generally, eye-level shots connect you to the emotions of the character, so whichever emotions they are feeling, hopefully so will you feeling too.

From left to right: Low shank foot, high shank foot, Singer slant shank foot, Kenmore super high shank foot, Pfaff super high shank, and Bernina Old-Style foot.

A Dutch angle (Dutch tilt, oblique angle) is a type of camera shot that has a noticeable tilt to the camera’s “horizon line”.

Aerial shots help to demonstrate the world the characters inhabit (positively or oppressively). It’s as if a bird is flying over the scene and seeing everything that happens around. This allows a deeper understanding of what’s going on below, which would be impossible to understand if you were viewing from a “normal” position. This higher view also can favor the composition with geometric shapes that arise from this differentiated vision.

High angle can also be used to show things in the scene that would hardly be seen from another angle. It can be used when there is an intention to show a space with a lot of visual information or when the surrounding elements are needed to compose the scene. Lego photographers use this angle a lot to insert minifigures into MOC sets and achieve harmony/dialogue between character and environment.

The shortest of all the shanks, the distance between the thumb screw and the foot bed in low shank feet is about 1/2 an inch.