(Ricoh GX200)To continue from yesterday's topic, another less talked about framing technique is to use the secondary subjects to frame to PRODUCE or SHAPE – not just to frame which is very often discussed (we will come to that in a later post) – the primary subject or theme so as to reflect your message in mind. Simply put, the framing is not just done to be functional but purposeful.
In today's shot, the author composed the shot so that the two buildings combine to form the primary subject letter Y. It was done to cause the viewers to introspect: Why do we want to see our city crammed and skyline cluttered with buildings? The monotonous windows and the narrow visual corridor are as mesmerising as suffocating, which hopefully helps catch the viewers' attention and accentuate the intended message/ theme.
Some other examples are here and here. Of course, the technique is to be used to help bring out the photographer's intentions, which vary from shot to shot. In my humble opinion, there is no hard-and-fast rule about when and why a technique must be used. It is only practising that can enable a photographer to get the means-to-ends matching right on spot.
For practising, thre is nothing better than making up a theme and with your camera experimentiing on the techniques you have under your belt. Short of techniques? Read some books, attend some courses or do both.
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