Jim Gollan @ OCA Art of Photography: Fitting the frame to the subject (1.1a)

Requirement

4 photographs

Purpose
Train your your eye to see potential images in most situations and do so quickly, precisely, and with the impact required

Technical learning

Composition is an act of selection, a key skill in producing good photographs.
This skill only comes with practice. And a lot of it.
In shooting-to-the-final-image, the photographer must pick both what to include and what to exclude.

Exercise instructions

Select a clear but compact subject (e.g. car, handbag, person, ferry), accessible both close up and at a distance. Visualise 4 different photographs of your subject. Shot 1 - place the entire subject in the frame with some space around it, to act as a benchmark for other images. Shot 2 - locate the entire subject in the frame without space around it (either vertically or horizontally, depending on its shape). Shot 3 - take a close-up to exclude the edges of the subject in the frame. Shot 4 - pull back so that subject occupies about 25% of the frame to make a composition that shows the subject in its surroundings

Images and Review

I shot different viewpoints of several subjects.

'Young lovers'

6 Aug 11, Canon

George Ehrlich's 'Young Lovers' at the Festival Gardens in the shadow of St. Paul's Cathedral produced the most interesting images. This sculpture stands for peace and love amongst the madness of the surrounding financial centre of London, of which there is precious little.

First glance

Full view

Close Up

Context - view of church

The first glance and full frame shots give most information overall, but are the least interesting ones of the series, being relatively static compositions
The close-up shows the intimate shape of the lovers' embrace as does placing the woman's hands near the lower left corner of the frame.
The context image has an implied line (of sight) between the woman and the church in the background. What does this suggest about her relationship with the church? Just curiousity, perhaps? Romantic hopes for marriage?

Further learning

Cropping alters composition 'after the fact', including the option of changing frame shape, if the image needs it for greater impact
However, cropping is not a cure all
Whilst it changes what gets left out of the final image, it cannot add what was missed when the shot was taken.
How much should photographers rely on cropping? A matter of personal preference, of course.
Perhaps the photography student, like me, should see this as a cat should see each of its 9 lives. Something only to use sparingly. Otherwise, relying on it to keep rescuing badly composed original images creates a lazy eye and stunted technique.

Other images

Statue of Sidney Herbert at Crimea War Memorial, Waterloo Place, London.
3 Aug 11, Canon

Sidney Herbert sent Florence Nightingale out to Scutari in the Crimea,and with Nightingale led the movement for Army Health and War Office reform after the war. The hard work entailed caused a breakdown in his health and he died in August 1861. This statue by Foley was placed in front of the War Office in Pall Mall, London. After that building's demolition, it was moved next to the statue of Florence Nightingale in Waterloo Place, and behind it the Crimean Monument. Wikipedia

First glance - who is looking at whom?

Full view

Close-up - a romantic view of the wounded in Crimea

Context

The first shot, where the viewpoint is upward from the base of the statute, engages the viewer. The folds of the statues clothes have a tactile quality
The third image focuses on the engraving of a field hospital scene. Suspect the nurse, top right, is Florence Nightingale. A noble, rather than a realistic view. The glory of war, not its shocking brutality and pain. However, like the sense of movement within the scene
The second and fourth shots tell the story twice, where once will do.

Mr Union Jack, entertaining tourists in Trafalgar Square, London
3 Aug 11, Canon