The Frame - 2

Project: Looking through the viewfinder

Exercise: Object in different positions in the frame

I have to admit it was a difficult one for me, as I was stuck for a while, not having any idea of a subject that I could photograph in a large and even background. I did find a funny note on a large door, which I photographed, but I didn't get the results I wanted. Then one day, crossing a bridge, and having my camera ready to photograph something else, I saw this woman canoeing and I was happy to see her in this kind of "large and even" background that I've been looking for, for so long.

But because she was moving I couldn't catch her at the same size, in different parts of the frame, so some of the photos here are slightly cropped. For the same reason, I just went for "right in center", "a little away from the center", and "close to an edge", without making the "not thinking too much" exposure. And to be honest, every time I have to do this, I find it difficult, because I tried hard to make a habit of THINKING before taking a shot. (Not that I'm very successful, but...still).

So in the first photo, the subject is in the center of the frame. In this case, I think the setting gives a sense of vastness to the surroundings of the subject (which appears small in the frame), and conveys the idea of courage (like she's conquering that water). She went a long way, but still has a long way to go. So contrary to my expectations, positioning the subject in the center of the frame seems to work nicely, in this particular case.

Photo 1 - Subject in the center of the frame

In the second photo the subject is close to the upper edge. I think the large body of water in front of it gives a sense of imbalance to the picture.

Photo 2 - Subject close to the upper edge

In the third photograph, the subject is placed according to the rule of thirds. But I think the photo still looks out of balance. It's better than the second, I think, given the diagonal of the boat almost matching the diagonal of the photo itself. Because of that it looks more elegant. I think in the case of a larger subject in the frame, it would have looked the best, from all the shots. But in this kind of setting, with such a large background, it looks too small, and doesn't have anything on the other side to balance it up.

Photo 3 - Subject a little away from the center

So going back to the first picture, where the subject is placed in the center, I think it does work well together with the background, if I compare all three versions. As I said before, I would have liked more, a larger version of the subject, placed somewhat off center, in a not so large background. Maybe something like this: