Placing the subject in the frame

(click on photos to enlarge)

One of the first things I do when setting up a shot is to place the subject in an area of the frame that I think will work best for the image. That location can be at the top, bottom, side, corner, or even dead center of the frame. Certain composition rules, especially the rule-of-thirds, mandate specific areas for placing the model. Sometimes I agree with that edict, but more often I don't (it's my feeling that too many photo instructors and photo books spend too much energy pushing this rule as being absolutely mandatory). For me, the most important thing is being satisfied with the picture and believing it clearly conveys my message.

After shooting a few photographs, and with the goal of varying my setups, I'll change the position of the subject in the frame. I do this by looking through the viewfinder, moving the camera (I'm usually handholding it) to place them in various parts of the frame. I'll stop when I’m happy with the framing and begin photographing again. In addition, I may physically move the model and/or myself, change the camera orientation from horizontal to vertical (or vice versa), and/or rework the composition.

I think Jennifer's placement in the frame and the stark walls surrounding her emphasize her aloneness. It almost as if she's been abandoned. Her sitting in the corner with tightly crossed arms and with legs pressed together suggest a seriously melancholy young woman.

This photograph conveys a different kind of isolation. Giselle is seated at the very end of the sofa, which has been pushed into the corner of the room. She's not unhappy, however, but rather absorbed in her practicing.

One type of setup I really find appealing is having the model crowding the frame’s edge, with part of their body missing. (A friend once suggested that the lack of balance I create in these images mirrors the lack of balance in my own life!!).

The two photos above show the models at the edges of their respective frames. Moving more toward those edges would put them out of the picture. I think both images leave the viewer with an off-balance feeling. The top photo highlights the empty bed. The lower one intensifies a feeling of an approaching mystery... that something sinister is about to happen.

​I think one could argue whether it's Allie or the cross that's the subject of this picture. I felt that both were important to highlight, but I wanted the cross to have top billing. I hoped to solve the problem by having Allie turn her head towards the object while keeping her gaze at the camera.

​It was the soles of Terrence's feet that I wanted to highlight, but also to have his face prominently visible. My solution was to frame his head between his feet and throw his face somewhat out of focus by way of a shallow depth-of-field.

Of equal importance to me when setting up this shot were both the child and the stick he's holding. But I wanted to draw a bit more attention to the stick than to the boy. That's why I made it more center stage while cropping and banishing him to the lower portion of the frame.

There’s something unsettling (in a positive way) about this photo. Perhaps it's her calmness. She'd been a whirling dervish for most of the shoot, but was now absolutely still and looking bored. Further, the framing gives nearly equal weight to both her and the piece of clothing on the left side of the bed. That may wrongly imply an equal importance to both. She should be the important one. The viewer may wonder what’s going on in the picture. It’s confusing. But that’s OK. Confusion can be ideal for spicing up an image.

Creating a sharp and well-focused shadow of Janine on the wall behind her was my primary goal when setting up this shot. Strong late-day sunlight illuminated the scene. That meant working quickly from shot to shot since the sun was in constant motion.

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