Filling the frame

Objects In Rear View Mirror May Appear Larger Than They Are.

I would have to say that the best advice I ever received as a photographer, from somebody much older and wiser than myself, was to “get closer”. It may seem a little trite and obvious at first, but when I started really listening to this advice while I was shooting, I started to see a dramatic difference in my shots. Pushing myself that extra bit to get just a step closer, to fill the frame just a little more, was giving me much better results.

Depending on the focal length of your lens, getting closer can have a dramatic impact. The image here was shot with a 10.5mm fisheye lens – and within a few inches of the subject. This is pretty extreme, but it’s taking advantage of the space I have to fill and the qualities of the lens I’m using.

The problem is that when you look through your viewfinder, it’s like looking into a rear view mirror. Our brain makes us perceive objects to be larger than they will actually appear in the end result.

When you frame your subject and are preparing to fire, take a look around the edges of the frame and look for negative space. You likely want some to exist. Nothing is worse than cutting a slice off someone’s forehead.

The problem most people face, however, is too much headroom. In some shots, you could almost fit a whole second head into the space above your subjects head. If that’s the case, take a step forward. Don’t rely on the zoom too much. Physically move yourself toward the subject, or move your subject closer to you.

Push yourself further than you think you should. You’ll get more detail in your image, you’ll have less need to crop and loose data, and you’ll thank yourself for getting just that little bit closer in the end.