Digital Photography Lessons – The Frame

One of the first and most important lessons when taking digital photographs is the picture frame.  By this I mean the edges of the image, not the container that holds the image!

It is important to keep your subject aligned with the imaginary lines of the “Rule of Thirds.”  Also important is the orientation of the frame.  Experiment with horizontal and vertical versions of the same image.  This is a GREAT exercise to push your composition skills.  Soon you will develop a feel for the balance between subject matter and background, as well as train yourself to get out of the “standard” rut.  (For some that is always shooting horizontal images, for others it is always shooting vertical images.)  You will be surprised at how quickly your images improve with this “homework.”

(Click on image to view page.  Click again to view full size image.)

Another exercise that will help improve your photographs is to photograph the same subject in different ways.  Take a close-up shot as well as a wide-angle shot.  Shoot at least three different details of the main subject.  With this exercise it is important to shoot, “full frame.”  In this day of digital photography and digital darkroom cropping, we seem to have lost this technique (and talent.)  By forcing yourself to shoot “full frame” you stretch your skills as a photographer and artist.  This forces you to really consider all of the elements within the viewfinder.  Once you have a strong base of this skill, it is fine to break away from it; establishing the skill first is the key to improving the quality of your digital photographs.