Facing up to framing up

Press, 7 August 1985, Page 38

Facing up to framing up

When photographing a person, do not put the head in the middle of the frame unless you have very good reasons for doing so — such as the wish to include scenery or other background. In the accompanying photographs, the back-

ground is nondescript and the effect of putting the girl’s head in the middle is to cut off her feet without any compensating inclusion. In fact, the privet bush seems to be bearing down on her when her head is in the middle of the photograph.

This does not, of course, mean that you should focus on her midriff rather than her face — if the camera allows, focus on her face and then if necessary adjust the position of the frame. While some automatic cameras give no opportunity of focusing other than at

the centre of the frame, others have a focus lock which enables you to focus first and then point. In the photographs shown the lack of a focus lock would not matter greatly as the face is not much further from the camera than the midriff is.