Archive for Framing

Filling the Frame

Iced Car

In the photo of the front of my car one icy morning, I was choosing to fill the frame with my shot.  When taking pictures of a car one will usually fit the entire car into the shot.  By filling the frame with only the front part of the car, one is forced to see the subject in a new way.  Filling the frame of a photo can add an aesthetic value to one’s photo and force the viewer to see the subject a new way.  This technique is often used when taking pictures of people to get facial features or ripples in the muscles that would be lost otherwise.  My goal was to not loose the beauty of the icy car by including too much.  I felt by filling the frame, the idea and subject were not lost in a bunch of background or even silvery car.  This photo of a car is not just a car, it tells of my first winter keeping a car going by myself on these icy, cold mornings.  It is even beautiful.

Dividing the Frame

Wind Whisper

The photo of the windmill from inside an old building is my photo showing a divided frame.  Instead of a frame within a frame, this technique was used to emphasize the importance of the windmill, my subject.  By dividing the frame vertically my goal was to exaggerate the height of the windmill.  By dividing the frame and having the contrasting color and texture on each side of the frame, gives the photo interest.  The opposing factors complete the photo and leave one viewing the subject.  The contrast between the dark building and the light outdoors also creates a mood of mystery.  It may bring the viewer into the photo where they could imagine being inside the dark building, looking out.  I choose to keep the picture cropped in this way to draw attention to the tall and thin structure.  I feel as though the divided frame is so much a contrast to the subject but yet so similar.  They are vertical, stately, and important.  The dark area is dark enough to push the eye to the lighter area but not so dark as to lose the interest created by the texture.  This frame also gives the photo depth.  This is a strong frame and a somewhat unconventional frame as it only has one side; however, I felt it helped the subject and was interesting to look at.

Frame within a Frame

Look Both Ways

The photograph of my friend in his car clearly shows a frame within a frame.  The frame of the actual photo and the frame of the car window give this photo a frame within a frame.  The car window creates a clear frame to contain one’s focus and lead the eye to the subject.  My goal was to give the photograph a very noticeable frame so one would know exactly where to look.   The shape of the car frame also gives interest to the photo. One is used to seeing rectangles or squares for frames, so I think this new shape gives the photo interest. This frame also shows a relationship between the subject and his car, which is emphasized by the use of framing.  Using framing to give the viewer a clear area of focus as well as adding interest and symbolism were goals of this photo.