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07-18-2015, 08:12 AM   #1
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Frustration with Framing

Today I was looking forward to taking my camera to a local car show. I get there and I feel like I see a ton of good shots with my eyes but when I look through the viewfinder I can't figure out how to capture them. I am frustrated with my inability at being able to translate a good image from my field of view to the camera's field of view. The only way I can think to help myself is to walk around with a camera stuck to my face at all times to get my brain used to that 3:2 field of view.

Does anyone else deal with this? How can I get better at this?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

07-18-2015, 08:24 AM - 1 Like   #2
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Practice, practice, practice. Also actually LOOK at your pictures that you've taken later on with some thought -- tag the ones you like and the ones you don't like and the ones that are just "meh" that you thought would be better. Look for commonalities, look for balance. You don't have to think anything in particular, just absorb it.

Also if you have "centeritus" where you tend to put the "subject" in the center and are worried about cutting off edges of things, not seeing the whole thing, etc -- stop doing that. Get up close, shoot details, shoot them off-center. Compose with the whole frame (the area with nothing in it is just as important as every other area) to achieve balance. Think of the rule of thirds sometimes (but don't be ruled by it).

Practice, practice, practice. And realize that many "great" photographers shoot 100 or 1000 dull, boring frames to every interesting one and sometimes it is just a matter of being able to pick that one out later in review. (Or crop something interesting from a frame.)
07-18-2015, 09:09 AM   #3
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An easy way to preview your compositions is to make an L out of your thumbs and forefingers placing your thumbs together with your forefingers upright then look at the view between. When you see a view you like duplicate composure with your camera.
07-18-2015, 09:12 AM   #4
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Yeah, looking at good photographs and your own photographs is very important. And you have to really take your time studying them - what is good, what is wrong. Was the camera angled, tilted? Are the photos blurry? Are there distracting things in the background? Is there too much stuff around the subject?
Next, you need to take time with the frame. You should have a good idea of what you want before you put the camera to your face.

What really helps with this is experience and practice, of course. The other thing people like to advise is to use fixed focal length lenses (also called primes). These have no zoom, but they have high image quality. The idea is that you are confined to just one field of view, so you really learn it after a while. Experienced photographers can see something in front of them, and they already imagine what 35mm, 50mm would look like, and they know approximately which focal length would be well-suited, which distance and angle would make the image they want. A good way to develop this is by buying a prime. These slow down your photography a little bit at first, but once you get the hang of it, you can transfer this knowledge to all other lenses. Something like DA 35mm is a good place to start, very high image quality, good brightness and AF, for an affordable price. Gear doesn't make the photographer, but it can be a teaching tool on which to hone your skills.

07-18-2015, 09:38 AM   #5
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Good advice given already. No way around lots of practicing. But I have found that it helps to think of what I do not want to include in my picture more than what I do want to include. That will often force you to change angles, get closer and/or zoom in, all to catch the essence of the subject without including distracting objects.

Also, when I try to "get it all into the frame" I usually end up with boring images. Always try to think of what's going to be the important thing in the picture. Too many elements will be too distracting, they will compete for attention. Better to isolate each element in separate images.

Reading books and articles on composition has also helped me a lot.
07-18-2015, 10:49 AM   #6
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Look up Scott Kelby on YouTube. He has a 1 hr video on composition that is different then most . Well worth taking the time to watch.

Last edited by Oldbayrunner; 07-18-2015 at 01:30 PM.
07-18-2015, 11:40 AM   #7
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Thank you to all. A lot of good advice. I took a 17-50mm lens with me and I think that was kind of awkward because I'm probably most used to a 50mm prime and not a zoom. Next time I think I will stick to a 50mm macro and go for some details.

Also looking forward to watching that Scott Kelby video.

07-18-2015, 12:25 PM   #8
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Scott Kelly or Scott Kelby?
07-18-2015, 01:24 PM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by djam Quote
Scott Kelly or Scott Kelby?
Scott Kelby's Crush the composition

Last edited by Oldbayrunner; 07-18-2015 at 01:32 PM.
07-18-2015, 05:05 PM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by Oldbayrunner Quote
Scott Kelby's Crush the composition
07-18-2015, 05:26 PM   #11
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I was reading on a site somewhere where a photographer made a cardboard frame and held it up to areas to crop the view before he took a picture. But it is something to get used to, I was able to do it years ago, and now I feel I have lost it, after a close to 20 year absence. It is definitely something you need to just keep doing to practice. I did learn myself using a 50mm prime first. Some else mentioned too, I think about what I don't want in the frame in order to make a more interesting composition.
07-19-2015, 08:19 AM   #12
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Shoot wider then crop the part you want is one way to skin a cat

Randy
07-19-2015, 11:35 AM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by savoche Quote
Good advice given already. No way around lots of practicing. But I have found that it helps to think of what I do not want to include in my picture more than what I do want to include. That will often force you to change angles, get closer and/or zoom in, all to catch the essence of the subject without including distracting objects.
that is solid advice, especially for a car show, because they are often parked too close together... really need a wider lens.

with the k10d, i settled on 24mm at f/5.6... not too distorted, gets the entire vehicle in focus, and that same angle works well both at the track and at the shows.

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