Today David Bergman from Adorama TV will talk about placement of the subject in the frame, and the impact that it has on your images. “When you first start taking pictures of people” – David explains – “You probably start with placing them in the middle of the frame, looking straight at the camera.
This framing is pretty standard – it’s obvious that model knows that her picture is being taken, and that is what we are used to seeing. There is a connection between the subject and the camera, which of course translates to the viewer.
We can add a little interest to the photo by altering model’s placement just a little bit. Move her to wither left or right side of the frame, then have her look in the opposite side’s direction, “in the frame”. Now there is no interaction between her and the camera, and it is a bit more voyeuristic. She is not paying attention at the photographer at all and is looking at something else.
We moved her out of the center, so there is some room for her to look into the frame, which works on the other side as well. This framing is particular useful, as we can see what she is doing and what she is looking at.
To create the most tension in the image, let’s model the model on either side of the frame, and let her look out of the image. When you have your subject looking out of the frame, it is disconcerting because you have no idea what she is looking at, or what is going on outside of the frame. There is a lot of dead space on the other side from the subject that is not being filled and makes you wonder why it looks that way. “Something is quite not right here….” Use this technique if you want to add some drama or intrigue to your image. At the end of the day this is all about taking control of the feel of your photographs.
Don’t forget – you can subliminally alter the feeling of your images by carefully placing the subject where you want them for maximum impact.
Watch the full episode with David Bergman and Adorama TV: