Elements of Photography: Part 1 ~ Framing
I’ve really enjoyed the @FriFotos weekly photo challenge on Tweeter. Each Wednesday they announce a new theme for the week and on Friday folks from all over the world, both pro and amateur photographers show their interpretation of the weekly theme. Lately, they’ve had themes related to the elements of photography, such as #texture, #LeadingLines, and #framing. Since these elements are so key to making a photograph, rather than just snapping a picture, I thought I’d write a blog about it from my 180º perspective.
Most people that purchase a fisheye lens, including me, begin by pointing it at their pets and getting humorous photos of long noses. Next, they point it at their car with the lens tilted up slightly to make a smiling car picture. Then comes the photos of their friends with large heads and small bodies, after which the lens is tucked away with other gimmick photography equipment until further comic relief is needed. This was the case for me until a few years ago when I felt the need to use the lens for travel photography. Here’s a slide show about my epiphany:
Men using medications for other treatment has to speak to the previously trained students and their parents on this topic. http://icks.org/data/ijks/1482458820_add_file_4.pdf buy levitra line Join the canadian prices for viagra revolution and find out how this Soft Pills can change your life. cialis (Sildenafil citrate) is a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction (impotence) Regulates the level of BP in the body Helps increase concentration and memory (increases mental performance); Prevent and combat aging at the cellular level Combat stress and stimulates metabolism; Prevents discomfort created by plane and boat trips; Fruits of Lycium. In the form of Kamagra, Ajanta pharmacy has launched the best medicine that helps males keeping erection quality order generic cialis icks.org normal and enjoys the sexual life to the fullest. Sildenafil citrate sildenafil price in india starts working within 30 minutes of practice.
I forced myself to use the fisheye lens exclusively after that and quickly learned how important leading lines, texture, and framing were to using this lens. Without mindfully employing these compositional elements, you will create a bunch of goofy photos or snapshots that look like stills from a CCTV surveillance camera!
FRAMING, FRAMING, FRAMING
With any lens, especially a wide angle lens there tends to be lots of space around your subject. By use of framing, one not only helps keep the viewers eyes locked into the photo but also gives the photographer a chance to tell more about the subject.
Wat Phra Kaew & the Grand Palace
Okay, I’m a lucky photographer, I live in Thailand and exotic scenery surrounds me. I’m also unlucky because after living here for ten years, everything has become familiar to me and some subjects have been photographed-to-death by many before me. Wat Phra Kaew & the Grand Palace is a prime example. I wanted a photograph for our book that was different than what I had seen before and I wanted the photo to show the many types of chedis and feel palatial. After a few failed attempts, I realized that if I could lay on my back in the middle of the grounds, making sure of course not to point my feet at any relic or Buddha image 😔, and use the historical architectural elements to frame a photo, I could make a dynamic photo. I went to the palace early one morning and as soon as it opened I ran to the courtyard, laid down on my back and got this photo. Seconds later, mayhem in the form of hundreds of tourists let loose and the area was quickly filled with people. One of the key rewards that comes from the discipline of using only one focal length lens 24/7 is that you begin to be able to think like your lens and previsualize composition. This allows you to get a photograph quickly before the other photographers behind you get tired of you being in the way.
ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER PALACE
Another time, I found myself at Bang Pa-In, a summer palace. I was immediately drawn to a building on an island and started to inquire how I could rent a boat to capture the photograph that I had in my mind. When I learned that wasn’t possible, I started searching for other angles. After some time, I found the angle below that worked even better to describe the palace and the beautiful surroundings. From this view, the building was framed on the bottom by marble and by trees on the top part of the image. A tunnel running from the shore to the island created a leading line and in the end, I got a far better image than what I had previsualized. I love it when accidents like this happen!
Devaraj-Kunlai Gate, Bang Pa-In
Oh, if you want to learn more about this palace and see more photos, this link will open in a new tab.☞ http://bit.ly/BangPa180books 👀
MEANWHILE, IN MYANMAR
Sometimes, too much light gives too much information and there’s nothing to hold the viewer’s eyes in the photograph. This is the time to use darkness as a frame and make a photograph at twilight or nighttime. In Myanmar, we were stressing out all day about reaching the Kyaiktiyo Pagoda by sunset. That didn’t happen and you can read more about it here ☞ https://www.giunca.com/EdWorld/2014/10/09/nightmare-on-the-road-to-the-kyaiktiyo-pagoda-in-myanmar/ 👀 Never the less, we did reach the pagoda when there was still a band of light on the horizon, while the edges of the photo frame the subject with dark tones. In the morning, we went back to make a daytime image of the pagoda but the magic was gone.
A PENSIVE MORNING IN PENANG
Early one morning in Penang, Malaysia, I set out to photograph the fishermen in the famous Fishermans Village. I imagined that I’d get some great environmental portraits of their weathered faces and hands along with their charmingly aged boats. Well, the fish weren’t biting that morning but the fishermen were. It seems they were not in a good mood and had had enough of well-meaning tourists poking their lenses in their faces. After approaching a few that were busy mending their nets or repairing their boats and being told NO PHOTOS of me, I dejectedly retreated to the shoreline and looked around to find a photo. It then dawned on me how tranquil the scenery in front of me was, minus the fishermen. I found a low hanging tree to frame the photo from the top and backed-off a bit to allow the wet sand to frame the bottom. For me, it’s one of my most peaceful meditative images.
INSIDE INDIA WITH INSIGHT
During Ganesh Chaturthi, the celebration of Ganesha’s birthday, we traveled around Tamil Nadu making photographs of many of the Ganesha shrines in the city. Our driver and guide suggested that we go to some of the rural areas to see the shrines there and we were soon on our way. My idea was to show how the statues in the rural areas differed from ones in the city. When I finally backed off from the idol and made this photo including the rough-hewn shrine framing it, I had a much more interesting photo and was able to show it in the context of the rural area. More about Ganesh Chaturthi and many more photos, here ☞ http://bit.ly/180booksGaneshChaturthi 👀
A Ganesha Statue for Ganesh Chaturthi in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu
Well, it’s already Friday here in Chiang Mai, so I’ll stop here and post some photos. If you enjoyed this story, subscribe using the “Subscribe” button below, and visit our facebook fan page to comment Here (We had to eliminate the ability to comment on this WordPress site due to excessive spam.)
We’d LOVE to hear from you!
Here’s How to Order Your Copy of THAILAND 180º Collectors EditionToday!
In Thailand —>>>http://www.thailand180.com/thaiorder.html
The Rest of the world: We are offering our book on Amazon.com, below list price and I’ll pay for the shipping within the United States! http://amzn.to/1knDPRR
Also, because there’s nothing to watch on TV, here’s a trailer about our book, “THAILAND 180”
Above is an interactive map of Thailand. If you click on a marker it reveals a photo from our THAILAND 180º book and a link to our blog article about the photo. Go Ahead~ Start Exploring ~Have Some Fun!
