Framing

To frame: to arrange or adjust for a purpose.

A practice that constantly challenges and helps me improve my Photography is the attention to framing. If Photography is visual storytelling, then framing is a form of editing on the spot. When I point the camera at a scene, I try to ask myself two questions every single time: "What kind of a story am I trying to tell?" and "What part of this scene is absolutely necessary to tell this particular story?" Ever since I started playing with that, I noticed patterns in my ways of seeing and (I think) I began to develop a stronger point of view and style. For example, I learned that one of my favorite things to do is zoom in and crop body parts, with the intention of adding a tiny mystery to the image and just a hint of a story.

How about you? Any framing ideas to share? Show us how you edit what you see.

Comments

[Si]

Intriguing photograph, I love the way you used the depth of field and the back of the ladies head rather than her face. Composition is excellent. Well thought out.

Si

[Kellee]

It is amazing the sense of scene you get here, even with only bits and pieces of the whole package. Really well done. :)

[Shutter Sisters]

i know that ponytail! and there is only 1 couch that color. sigh. lovely shot. love the post. love you. : )

[Emily Perry]

i, too, like it when things spill off the page:: and yes, great shot and i love the DOF too!

[Fighting Windmills]

This shot is beautiful! I also like photographing only parts of a person to make the intended story more interesting. I like these two suggested questions to ask as you are framing. I once took some photos of my children drinking from a water fountain. My favorite shot turned out to be the one of the bowl of the water fountain with a tiny reflection of my daughter.

http://fightingwindmills.wordpress.com/2008/10/16/drinking-it-all-in/

[Peggy]

How very interesting!!! I find myself adjusting my glasses and my distance from my monitor because, right now, my brain is telling me the center of the photo should be the focus. I LOVE this picture and I love what you say about asking yourself what part of the scene is necessary for the story to be told. Thanks for sharing!!

[Julie Ivens]

lovely photograph!

[djbeat]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/djbeat/4162257920/
i like how this one was framed brown fuzzy snow suit against the snow

[darrah]

Oh, I love this! I love framing photos so you only see part of the scene - you only see what's necessary to tell the story. I love leaving the rest of the scene to the imagination of the viewer. Here's a recent photo I took which I think captures some mystery with the way it's framed:

http://artcetera.squarespace.com/artcetera/2009/12/5/view-05-possibilities.html

[erika]

We've been devouring Clementines all weekend. My niece couldn't have looked sweeter as she waited patiently for her next one.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22634402@N02/4163227972/

[Patty Reiser]

When I am about to press the shutter, I look in my viewfinder to see if there is an object already in the viewfinder suitable for framing my focus. If there is then I will zoom in to use that object as a frame. Here is a recent photograph where I did exactly that.

http://pkphotography.us/2009/12/look-at-those-eyes/

[Grace aka blackbelt_oma]

beautiful

[gillian]

I love this!
I try to keep the tones monochromatic with a hint of the opposite on the colour wheel...like you I try to focus on one thing and let the rest blur out.
Sometimes I achieve this and sometimes I don't. But it is a fun process regardless.
I do think less is more in a photo. Cramming too much in doesn't work!
xox

[Lilian (mamaayanna)]

NICE!!!