Exercise 6 Fitting the frame to the subject

   

Image 1

Image 1 to show the entire subject in the view finder as I would have photographed it normally.  I feel that the pampas grass is a beautiful backdrop to an old area of a graveyard that itself is shaded.  The purpose of the photograph was to show the contrast of the old stone that shows life completed against the ever-growing and regenerating pampas grass and beautiful flowers.

Image 2

Image 2 is my subject which I have tightly fitted to the frame.  There is no light on this image and it looks dark.  It looks very dull and not at all interesting not the effect that  had in mind.  Luckily the sun moved round and the effect I wanted suddenly came to light.....no pun intended!

Image 3 is just a very small part of the subject and when you look at it means nothing to the overall photograph, but is in itself a photograph completely different to what I had in mind at the beginning.  The image could be utilised for a backgound for something like a baby shot or to bring out the sharpness of a less impressive subject and I will keep it for that.

Image 3





Image 4 is the placement of the subject within the context of the photograph.  The surroundings are quite dark and bleak but the sun shining through the pampas grass shines a light and a pure beam that draws the eye along the stones and up to the grass itself.  It reminds me a little of an angel in a way.  One that shines down and protects those who sleep beneath it.  I rather like that concept.




Image 4

 The following crops done for alternative possibilities to image 4

The image is cropped to draw far more attention to the headstones themselves with the pampas grass which becomes purely background and so no more has the illusion of divine light.

The image above have been cropped for composition to include the gate, giving an entrance to the frame.  This makes a much better composition as the placement of subjects appear more structured with a much bigger picture.

The two images above are the two crops it took for the third and final crop as shown below.

I like this crop.  It totally alters the composition of the photograph.  The pampas grass is again the main subject but with the gravestone having less of a bearing on the photograph.  My eye is instead drawn to the light coming through the pampas and the pure beauty of the whites.

The gravestone now appears straight with the pampas grass at an angle. 



Conclusion

This exercise has given me a very good foundation to understanding the composition of a photograph.  It has made me re look at how I am taking the photograph and the full potential of a photograph within a photograph, thus opening my eyes to the massive opportunities in each composition.