How To See Through The Camera - Framing and Composition.
The very first thing that anyone would probably do when given a camera in their hands…is…look through the viewfinder. Obviously you have the digital cameras now with live view mode and don't have to compulsorily peek into the tiny viewfinders anymore. Given an option I will prefer the live view over the viewfinder as it gives more accurate frame coverage and is good to work with in low light conditions and also allows more freedom in confine spaces, low angles, over the head shots etc, be it with a hand held camera or a tripod mounted one. Studio and outdoor commercial shoots do necessarily demand tethered shooting where you have image transfer software displaying the images in real time on imacs or macbooks for the creative directors or clients to see.
So
irrespective of whatever the mode of shooting is…one need to learn and practice
and fuse it into one's default actions to hold the camera straight while
shooting, unless one has to point the camera up or down to frame the subject.
What this means is that when framing a shot, one has to keep the vertical and
horizontal imaginary lines of the scene straight. Like if you are shooting a
beach scene then align your horizontal axis with the horizon line of the sea
(i.e., when you are shooting the sea bang on). To correct the vertical tilt one
should look for some vertical straight lines in the scene as a guide. It is
easy to find these lines when shooting some structures. This correctness of
angles has a great deal of importance specially when shooting Architecture or
Interiors, as any tilt on x or y
axis will distort the perspective of the structure. Even if you are shooting
any other subject then it is imperative to align your shot along the correct
gridlines unless of course the picture idea demands otherwise. Any deviation
from the right angle (90〫on both x &
y
axis) gives a slope or falling effect to whatever you are shooting. This is
irrespective of whether you are shooting any structure or a mountain range or a
lake or a grass field or wild animals or people's portrait.
The
most logical reason for this stringent requirement is that our subconscious mind
right from our childhood has learned to keep our head straight on our shoulders
and thus keeping our vision perpendicularly aligned to whatever we see. Any slight
deviation of angle is visually compensated by our brain and we don't notice any
perspective distortions and simply perceive the depth and dimension without
actually noticing the converging, vanishing or tilting lines. They only become
apparent or visible once photographed.
It is because of this very effect of receding and reducing proportions of things in our vision that our mind can tell between the near and the far objects…a 3 dimensional view. Whereas the camera does not have a brain and two eye vision like us and will not ignore any visual discrepancies and record things as it sees them. Notice in the pictures below how the receding lines and the horizontal and vertical lines are correctly aligned and framed to give a perception of distance and depth. This very "handicap" of the camera to record the distortions in fact gives us the ability and control to reproduce the perspective we want to duplicate in our photographs.
It is because of this very effect of receding and reducing proportions of things in our vision that our mind can tell between the near and the far objects…a 3 dimensional view. Whereas the camera does not have a brain and two eye vision like us and will not ignore any visual discrepancies and record things as it sees them. Notice in the pictures below how the receding lines and the horizontal and vertical lines are correctly aligned and framed to give a perception of distance and depth. This very "handicap" of the camera to record the distortions in fact gives us the ability and control to reproduce the perspective we want to duplicate in our photographs.
Image #01
Image #02
Image #03
Image #04
Image #05
In the last shot above, the
vertical and horizontal lines are all on a single plane yet any wrong framing
of the wooden structure would have spoiled the simple symmetry of the shot.
Many
amateur photographers and inexperienced people in creative industry can't differentiate
between Framing and Composition. We will see how both are different and what
role they play in creating a good photograph.
Framing:
Framing is basically selecting your angle of view to shoot your subject. In doing this you, the photographer with the camera moves around, looking for a good and effective vantage point.
Considering
and deciding on…the perspective; the background, middle ground and foreground
separation; noticing the angle of light change as he/she moves; crouch, bend, lie
down, raise the camera up or down to find a desired view.
Framing
is basically pre-composition act where you decide on what to shoot and where to
shoot it from. That's easier said than done but requires much knowledge,
understanding and a creative mind to zero in on the final frame.
Composition:
Composition is arranging the elements inside what you have Framed. Checking for play of light and shade, shapes and forms of the objects, color contrast, textures, patterns, deciding on your focus, moving the camera slightly here and there or in & out to accommodate or eliminate things, checking for any undesirable things protruding from the edge of the frame…the list goes on.
Through
a controlled composition the photographer attempts to lead a viewer's eyes to the
subject and grab their attention and appreciation. For a trained, practiced and
experienced eye and mind it is a matter of routine to do both Framing and
Composing subconsciously. It becomes second nature for an ace photographer to
streamline and arrange things once the frame is set. So much so that the
photographer at times has to make a conscious effort to recheck things just to
make sure that he/she has not overlooked anything.
It was
difficult for yours truly as well to recall and write down these details as over
years of practiced regulations one never has to think, describe and enquire
what is required to be done, it all happens without any deliberation from
photographer's part and all that is required to do is just concentrate on the
subject and wait for that golden moment to trip the shutter.
Now I
have showed you images from my commercial work and here we are talking about
the creative aspects of photography basics…feeling bit weird, but hopefully
very soon we will all come out of this global pandemic and be able to move around
freely and shoot some creative pictures covering many more aspects of the Art.
Till
then take care and stay safe.
Best
Regards
Zubair
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