There are many ways to frame your photo. The simplest is to look for trees, or a branch, walls, window frames, etc. that can form an edge around your image, as you can see in the example above; you’ll see many others in the book as you read through it.
Putting an edge or frame around your composition serves many purposes: First, it highlights what you want the viewer to focus on. A frame adds order to the composition and leads your eye to the subject. It also adds depth by giving the image at least one more layer, which also adds contrast. This kind of frame adds a finished look, too. It’s like you’re saying, “Here is my photo—it’s wrapped up and ready for you to look at!”
There is another definition of “framing” that means to deliberately place your subject within the rectangle of your camera. When you do this you are looking closely for what you want in the image and also what you don’t want: for example, look at what is behind your subject—you don’t want a plant or tree growing out of his or her head. Or there may be a splotch of light next to them that pulls the viewer’s eye off course. In these cases, move your subject or move yourself to properly frame your subject with no such distractions.
An additional tip: less is usually more. Don’t clutter your image with anything not needed to tell your story. We call this “scanning the frame.” And be sure to pay attention to the edges of the frame as well.
But, even though you compose this way, it doesn’t mean you have to use it just for “landscapes.” Many times portraits are composed in landscape format especially when they are showing the subject’s environment, which is called an “environmental portrait.”
5. Points of Thirds: Place Interesting Elements along These Lines
Back in 1797, John Thomas Smith, an English engraver, remarked that you could break an image into lines of thirds as an aid to composition. He suggested that, by placing important elements of composition on one of the lines or at the intersection of one of these lines, you could achieve a harmonious picture.
To do this, it helps to turn on the “Grid view” in your camera. You can find out how to set this up in the manual for your camera under “Grid view” and, on a smartphone, go to your camera settings and tap “Grid” to enable it.
David Smith, an award-winning outdoor photographer, gave this advice about composition:
“Use your grid view in your camera to place a subject on a point of thirds, which has a really strong dynamic pull to our eyes. You might have the subject looking into the frame or looking across the frame. If the subject is looking to the left, leave more space on the left for them to look into; same, of course, on the right. If the subject is looking up, put them low in the frame looking up at something.”
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.
