Photography Tip: Fill Your Frame

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/fill-your-frame/' target='_blank'>http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/fill-your-frame/</a><br /><br /></div><i>"I’m constantly amazed by how the most simple photography techniques produce the most effective results. One such lesson that I always start new photographers off with is among the simplest you’ll ever find: Fill your Frame. Time and time again I’m approached by people to look at their photos and time and time again I’m amazed that people continue to take shots where you almost have to squint to make out their subjects because they are so distant. While empty spaces can be used effectively in photos to create stunning results (we’ll cover this in a future tip) you’re much more likely to get a ‘wow’ from those looking at your photos if your shots are filled with interest...This technique is particularly important when taking pictures of people whose facial features tend to disappear when you move more than a few meters away from them. While it can be appropriate to take shots that put a person in context with the environment that they are in, if they get lost in the picture you might as well just take a shot of the scene and leave them out of it."</i><br /><br />This is one of, if not the most basic tips for photography, but as the author points out, it's amazing how many people don't do this. I think it may have something to do with confidence as a photographer, being willing to become more intimate with your subject. Keeping a wide angle and shooting from far away is more emotionally safe for the photographer.

[Vincent Ferrari]

If you're in a comfortable setting, this isn't really an issue. If, however, you're doing street photography, it's very different. Many of the shots on my photoblog (shameless plug (http://www.theaterofmymind.com)) are taken on the NYC Subway system. I have three options when taking a photo:

1. Get up in someone's face, have them change everything that made the photo interesting in the first place, and not get the scene I set out to shoot. Let's face it, people change when a camera is in their grill.

2. Shoot them from a distance with a long zoom. Again, not the best option for multiple reasons, not the least of which is the fact that on a train in low light, zooming sucks (I shoot with a 50mm f1.8 and 800 or 1600 ISO). Also, zooming tends to lessen depth of field exponentially the further out you go.

3. Shoot from a relative distance, get the shot I want but not completely fill the frame. In practice, this is the method I choose the most, simply because I don't have the self-confidence to do method #1 ;-)

Honestly, the "fill the frame" rule, like the "rule of thirds" can be applied in post by cropping, but often that will lessen the print you're capable of working with.

As with any other rule, this one applies when applicable and can be fudged. Frankly, I get a little uncomfortable with rules and photography. My only rule is "shoot RAW so when you f up a shot you can pretty much fix it."

That one's unbreakable ;-)

[Neil Enns]

I agree in general with the "fill the frame" mantra, and I crop my photos pretty religiously during post-processing. I print all my photos with a border anyway, so I don't mind at all having to have extra border to make the print fill a standard size frame.

Lately though I've been shooting with my wide angle (17-40mm), and filling the frame is darn tough :) I'm so used to shooting with long zooms (70-300). Filling the frame generally isn't an option, so you have to be extra careful to make sure that what's in the frame is what you really want to see.

Neil

[marlof]

Wide angle lenses require you to be close to fill the frame, but other than telelenses, they will give you a sense of the surroundings of your subject. There's an interesting essay on why to use wide-angle lenses on street photography by Petteri Sulonen (http://www.prime-junta.net/pont/Pontification/n_Telephoto_Is_For_Wimps/a_Telephoto_Is_For_Cowards.html). It's a nice essay, even if his tone is a bit too absolute to my taste. Anyhow, I'm still too respectful of other people's privacy (or chicken?) to stick a camera to their face.

[Leon]

The fact is, real photographers don't shoot candids with telephoto lenses.
Oh well. It makes me not a real photographer. :oops: Well, I don't care. For me, street photography is to record how people are before they notice being photographed. That's my main objective. People just start acting differently when they know a lens is pointed at them so that's why I primarily use my 70-200 lens. Except for a few exceptions, the people I shot didn't know they were being photographed until after I pressed the shutter, even when they appear to look directly into the lens (another shameless plug :wink:) (http://www.pbase.com/lschell/people&amp;page=all). To get on topic: the side benefit is that it makes framing properly a lot easier.

[Crocuta]

The fact is, real photographers don't shoot candids with telephoto lenses.
Oh well. It makes me not a real photographer. :oops: Well, I don't care. For me, street photography is to record how people are before they notice being photographed. That's my main objective. People just start acting differently when they know a lens is pointed at them so that's why I primarily use my 70-200 lens. Except for a few exceptions, the people I shot didn't know they were being photographed until after I pressed the shutter, even when they appear to look directly into the lens (another shameless plug :wink:) (http://www.pbase.com/lschell/people&amp;page=all). To get on topic: the side benefit is that it makes framing properly a lot easier.

I like the effect of the zoom in your style of portraits. First, they do all look natural and you have clearly caught most of them just being themselves. Second, because you are featuring faces and expressions, the shallow depth of field from the zoom nicely blurs out distracting details behind your subjects, draws the eye to the interesting aspects of your subjects and enhances the overall image. It might not be right for everyone, but it clearly works for you. I'm always skeptical of any statement like 'real photographers don't...' Real photographers take photos, experiment with different ideas and develop a personal style without worrying about what other people say real photographer do or don't do.