Moving the subject?

Considering the evidence. Let’s go back

Let’s go back and take another look at chapter 1 just so we’ve covered our bases!

1. 1. Look at the photos of the tractor on pages 24 and 25 again. Does it seem to move within the picture when we change the framing?
2. 2. And what about the bell tower on page 26? What do you think?
3. 3. And our last piece of evidence: Does the cow on page 31 confirm your intuition?

Yes, the subject moves within the picture every time we change the framing!

Strategy. Changing the composition

So once again, we can change our pictures and make them better by moving our camera up, down, to the right, or to the left; in other words, in every direction! This time, this is going to help us to move the subject within the picture and choose where to place it for the best composition!

For example, I made these two very different compositions, showing a little white house at the edge of the sea, just by moving the camera. At first, the house is at the lower left and we see a lot of sky. In the second picture, the house is at the top right of the frame and suddenly we see the sea, which is right in front of the cliffs!

Now you frame it! Move your subject

Get your cardstock frame and start playing around!

1. 1. Frame the silhouette.
2. 2. Move your frame to different sides in order to make the subject move around within the picture!
3. 3. Make as many different compositions as you can by changing the position of the subject within the frame and the orientation of the photo.
4. 4. Now create these compositions:

• – a centered horizontal composition with the silhouette right smack in the middle;
• – a vertical composition with the silhouette at the bottom of the photo; and
• – a horizontal composition with the silhouette at the upper right.

Deductions. Three kinds of composition

So how many different compositions were you able to find?

By using both vertical and horizontal framing and putting the subject in the position of each of the different pieces of my puzzle, I created eighteen different compositions! Crazy, isn’t it?!

Here are the pictures that were specified in question 4 on page 96.

Position your frame on the picture on the previous page and follow the colored outlines to get the exact same frames that I did, if you like!

Centered horizontal composition

Horizontal composition shifted toward the top right corner

Vertical composition shifted toward the bottom of the picture

So these photos show three different compositions that you could find. Do you like one of them better than the others?

Picture quest. The wandering subject

And now, with the camera!

1. 1. Choose a subject that is small enough that you will be able to move it around within the picture without it leaving the picture too quickly.
2. 2. Move the camera in front of the subject and watch how the subject moves within the picture.
3. 3. Take the picture when you’ve found the composition you like the best!