It is all too often that when viewing our photos the subject appears to be too small and out come the spectacles and magnifying glasses. By simply filling the frame your photos will have instant impact.
I too suffered from the microscopic malady in my photography. The subjects were always too small and there was too much unwanted clutter in the image. But then I started filling the frame with the subject and they immediately had more impact. Here's how I did it.
1. Get in closer
By getting in closer or zooming in tighter you will remove unwanted subjects, protrusions and backgrounds. Get rid of the clutter and messy edges of the image. Simple isn't it? Yeah right! It does take practise and you need to remember to do it. But once you do you'll find your photos improving by leaps and bounds.
2. Detail
The larger the subject the more detail is recorded and it's this detail that adds to the quality of your images. You will start to find that you have recorded elements or objects that you hadn't seen when taking the image. It becomes a journey of discovery as you find out more about the object or subject.
3. Mood
Your subject will definitely look more imposing and give a dramatic effect that you would never have got if it was further away. Take the example of a tribal chief in Papua New Guinea. Filling the frame with his head gives a powerful effect by showing the detail of the paint on his face, the bones through his nose and texture of the feathers in his hair. Rather an intimidating effect.
4. Background
If the surroundings or situation of the subject are irrelevant to the image why include them? If the background cannot be changed to enhance the image then exclude it. Rather have no background and less of the subject but in a much larger proportion.
5. Scale
How big is your final image going to be? The smaller the print then the larger the subjects needs to be and occupy more of the scene. If the print is going to be large then you can include more of the surroundings IF they are relevant to the image, otherwise zoom in close.
6. Memories
I thought that I would include this here to emphasize the fact that many of us create images of friends and family as memories. Think about this. When a dear friend or family member has passed away, how does it affect the size of your images? Do you want to see more of their faces or as tiny subjects on a large background? People like memories to be large, clear and full of detail.
Filling the frame is a very easy way of improving your images dramatically. Not much technique needed and simple to shoot. By implementing this single step the quality of your images will be transformed significantly.
So, stop what you're doing right now, pick up your camera and go shoot three images and this time fill the frame with your subject. Once you've shot them, examine them carefully and see if you can pick up things in the detail. I am sure you will. Don't ever be afraid to experiment. It doesn't cost you anything. So, just do it! Happy shooting!
Do you want to learn more about photography in a digital world? I've just completed a brand new e-course delivered by e-mail. Download it here for free: http://www.21steps2perfectphotos.com/. To learn how you can take your photography from ordinary to outstanding visit http://www.21steps2perfectphotos.com/21steps.htm.
Wayne Turner has been teaching photography for 25 years and has written three books on photography.
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