A New Kind Of Challenge - Framing

bdcolen · June 17, 2009

Think of this as a challenge; think of this as an exercise; think of this as a challenging exercise.
It's called Framing, and it is designed to help you learn to utilize every square micron of your sensor or film frame - the center, the corners, the edges; they're all equally important. So...

Grab a camera and either a prime lens, or a zoom which you tape at a pre-selected focal length no longer than 110 mm (35 mm equivalent). Find a subject. Take that subject anywhere you want to do the shoot. Position your subject anyway you want to position them - sitting, standing, lying, flying, whatever. Now, you position yourself. AND ONCE YOU AND THE SUBJECT ARE POSITIONED, NEITHER OF YOU MAY MOVE YOUR FEET.

Now start shooting, trying to frame the subject in as many interesting and useful ways as you can come up with. Take about 70 shots. And then on Wednesday, June 24, post your five best shots and we'll discuss them.

See you then.

B. D.

rutt · June 18, 2009

bump

Richard, perhaps you should stick this?

Flyinggina · June 18, 2009

This sounds like a really challenging exercise. Thinking about keeping my feet in one place (well, literally two places) while wielding the camera is already making my mind spin with ideas. Fixed focal length for the entire shoot - ummmmm - not going to be easy.

I'm going to give it a try.

Virginia

bdcolen · June 18, 2009

Flyinggina wrote:

This sounds like a really challenging exercise. Thinking about keeping my feet in one place (well, literally two places) while wielding the camera is already making my mind spin with ideas. Fixed focal length for the entire shoot - ummmmm - not going to be easy.

I'm going to give it a try.

Virginia

Terrific, Virginia! You're right - it is very challenging. I will be the first to admit that when I did this exercise in a Eugene Richards workshop I made a total mess of it. On the other hand, I have had some students over the years who have come up with some extremely clever ways to work around the restrictions.

B. D.

divamum · June 18, 2009

Flyinggina wrote:

This sounds like a really challenging exercise. Thinking about keeping my feet in one place (well, literally two places) while wielding the camera is already making my mind spin with ideas. Fixed focal length for the entire shoot - ummmmm - not going to be easy.

I'm going to give it a try.

Virginia

I'm really digging primes at the moment anyway (oh, that I had the money for the 135L I covet!), so that part appeals to me already

I've persuaded the Junior Division to play model for me ("For an assignment? Oh, allllright then, I suppose I can do it for you. But do I have to smile and am I allowed to move anything other than my feet?"

)

Nikolai · June 18, 2009

Sorry, just want to be clear:
Can subject change pose?
Can I keep the distance but change the vantage point (lower/higher)?

Scott_Quier · June 18, 2009

divamum wrote:

I'm really digging primes at the moment anyway (oh, that I had the money for the 135L I covet!), so that part appeals to me already

I've persuaded the Junior Division to play model for me ("For an assignment? Oh, allllright then, I suppose I can do it for you. But do I have to smile and am I allowed to move anything other than my feet?" )

Just be happy she didn't also ask for $$

:lol

divamum · June 18, 2009

Scott_Quier wrote:

Just be happy she didn't also ask for $$ :lol

Oh, she tried...

(mean, mean, MEAN mommy that I am I said, "Uh... no." :lol

)

Nikolai · June 18, 2009

divamum wrote:

Oh, she tried... (mean, mean, MEAN mommy that I am I said, "Uh... no." :lol )

It's easy, actually: tell her it's either TF* or you charge *her* :-)

whiterice · June 18, 2009

Nikolai wrote:

Sorry, just want to be clear:
Can subject change pose?
Can I keep the distance but change the vantage point (lower/higher)?

Yup, just need this clarified too.

whiterice · June 19, 2009

whiterice wrote:

Yup, just need this clarified too.

Bump - hoping for clarification.

bdcolen · June 19, 2009

whiterice wrote:

Yup, just need this clarified too.

You can move everything

BUT your feet. Your subject can do the same. So think very carefully before you decide on positions.

I will tell you I made a complete botch of this assignment the one time I had to do it. I sat my subject in a chair, by a fence on a steep little rise. I then positioned myself below the subject on the rise. But I'd forgotten that if I tried to move around at all I'd fall over.

So do think carefully about this.

whiterice · June 19, 2009

bdcolen wrote:

You can move everything BUT your feet. Your subject can do the same. So think very carefully before you decide on positions.

I will tell you I made a complete botch of this assignment the one time I had to do it. I sat my subject in a chair, by a fence on a steep little rise. I then positioned myself below the subject on the rise. But I'd forgotten that if I tried to move around at all I'd fall over. So do think carefully about this.

This helps, thanks BD. I was assuming that the subject had to maintain a pose. Time to start thinking about this one....

Flyinggina · June 19, 2009

bdcolen wrote:

I sat my subject in a chair, by a fence on a steep little rise. I then positioned myself below the subject on the rise. But I'd forgotten that if I tried to move around at all I'd fall over.

rofl

OK. No steep hills. Good thing, too, because it looks like my model is going to be even older and less flexible than I am.

Now, how about some decent weather for an outdoor shoot. They are saying rainy for the entire next week.

Good thing I have some indoor ideas too.

Virginia

Trevlan · June 20, 2009

I'm in on this. It's been a while since I've done some challenges.

bdcolen · June 21, 2009

Trevlan wrote:

I'm in on this. It's been a while since I've done some challenges.

Go for it Frank - and I hope to make this the first of several, if not many exercises/challenges - one of which will not even require -or allow - a camera.

saurora · June 21, 2009

bdcolen wrote:

You can move everything BUT your feet. Your subject can do the same. So think very carefully before you decide on positions.

Sounds like playing Twister only with a camera in your hands! Actually sounds like a great learning exercise and a difficult one. Hmmm....need a willing victim...uh, subject.

Nikolai · June 21, 2009

saurora wrote:

Sounds like playing Twister only with a camera in your hands! Actually sounds like a great learning exercise and a difficult one. Hmmm....need a willing victim...uh, subject.

Wow, look who showed up...

:saurora

Trevlan · June 22, 2009

Bob, just to recap.

We must pick a distance. Focal length not to exceen 110mm (35mm eq.)

Once planted, you can't move your feet and neither can your subject. Elevation and pose change are allowed. 70 or so frames, and the 5 best come here. One quick question that I didn't see asked, or read over. I personally don't have a full frame camera. I'm on DX format, and it gives a 1.5x boost to the focal length. If I set my 200mm to 110mm for this shoot, it'll actually be equivaletn to 165mm. So personally, and for anyone who has a DX format SLR/DSLR, I can't set the focal lenght longer than 73mm.

Also, are we allowed to add light? Or are we restricted to the natural light only. And I'm going to assume, once your lights are in place, they can't move ither. (If that's allowed.)

mpaulie · June 22, 2009

Trevlan wrote:

are we restricted to the natural light only. And I'm going to assume, once your lights are in place, they can't move either. (If that's allowed.)

Good question!

bdcolen · June 22, 2009

Trevlan wrote:

Bob, just to recap.

We must pic a distance. Focal length not to exceen 110mm (35mm eq.)

Once planted, you can't move your feet and neither can your subject. Elevation and pose change are allowed. 70 or so frames, and the 5 best come here. One quick question that I didn't see asked, or read over. I personally don't have a full frame camera. I'm on DX format, and it gives a 1.5x boost to the focal length. If I set my 200mm to 110mm for this shoot, it'll actually be equivaletn to 165mm. So personally, and for anyone who has a DX format SLR/DSLR, I can't set the focal lenght longer than 73mm.

Also, are we allowed to add light? Or are we restricted to the natural light only. And I'm going to assume, once your lights are in place, they can't move ither. (If that's allowed.)

My inclination is to say available light only please. And if you have a shorter lens, I'd prefer that you use it. The rest of it is as you have laid it out - but keep in mind that pose change does not allow the model to change foot position.

Richard · June 23, 2009

Just to save everyone a bit of scrolling, I started a new thread for posting results and discussing this exercise.

Trevlan · June 23, 2009

Richard wrote:

Just to save everyone a bit of scrolling, I started a new thread for posting results and discussing this exercise.

Awesome! Thanks a bundle Richard.

pathfinder · June 24, 2009

I was going to ask a couple of questions, but I see I am late to the party as usual.

"A couple questions...

Must they all be with the same focal length?

Apparently, yes.

Must they all be available light? ( eg: no flash? )"----Apparently, yes.

I have a few other questions, then

Must they all be shot in the same limited time period, as opposed to returning to the same precise location at different times of the day as the sun moves overhead?

Is the model allowed to alter their wardrobe between shots?

bdcolen · June 24, 2009

pathfinder wrote:

I was going to ask a couple of questions, but I see I am late to the party as usual.

"A couple questions...

Must they all be with the same focal length?
Apparently, yes.

Must they all be available light? ( eg: no flash? )"----Apparently, yes.

I have a few other questions, then

Must they all be shot in the same limited time period, as opposed to returning to the same precise location at different times of the day as the sun moves overhead?

Is the model allowed to alter their wardrobe between shots?

I just answered these over on the extension of this thread. But again...

Yes, they must be shot with the same focal length.
I prefer that they be available light.
They must be shot at the same time.
If the model can change clothes without moving his or her feet, go for it. ;-)

Flyinggina · June 24, 2009

I thought of having my model change clothing but gave it up as we were shooting in drizzle and, for some reason, my model was not willing to toss his clothes onto the wet grass!!

Thinking of B.D.'s comments so far on what has been already been posted, I think that a clothing change might be fun, but beside the point he is trying to get us to grasp.

Arghhhh. This is really a hard exercise.

Virginia

bdcolen · June 24, 2009

Flyinggina wrote:

I thought of having my model change clothing but gave it up as we were shooting in drizzle and, for some reason, my model was not willing to toss his clothes onto the wet grass!!

Thinking of B.D.'s comments so far on what has been already been posted, I think that a clothing change might be fun, but beside the point he is trying to get us to grasp.

Arghhhh. This is really a hard exercise.

Virginia

It is, you should pardon me, truly a bitch. But that's why it's valuable.

divamum · June 24, 2009

Flyinggina wrote:

Arghhhh. This is really a hard exercise.

Virginia

Yup, it is!

Flyinggina · June 24, 2009

Well, we all agree on at least one thing!

Va

divamum · June 24, 2009

I actually don't find the forward/backward limitation such a big deal - I've been shooting primes a lot recently anyway (often limited by surroundings, eg on a ladder in the studio, or in a theater) so have been doing lots of twisting, bending, leaning and crouching in those contexts, so in a strange way it feels "normal". What I'm finding hard is setting it up for some kind of interest or success; I think in many ways I'll get more out of this if I control it less and respond more, or at least throw in a random element as you did, Virginia - the passersby (and river traffic) added interest to your shots.

Making me think differently which is why I'm continuing to ponder despite the dismal failure of my first set!!

bdcolen · June 24, 2009

Important Modification Of The Assignment

divamum wrote:

I actually don't find the forward/backward limitation such a big deal - I've been shooting primes a lot recently anyway (often limited by surroundings, eg on a ladder in the studio, or in a theater) so have been doing lots of twisting, bending, leaning and crouching in those contexts, so in a strange way it feels "normal". What I'm finding hard is setting it up for some kind of interest or success; I think in many ways I'll get more out of this if I control it less and respond more, or at least throw in a random element as you did, Virginia - the passersby (and river traffic) added interest to your shots.

Making me think differently which is why I'm continuing to ponder despite the dismal failure of my first set!!

IMPORTANT - I occasionally forget things.

So here is a slight modification to the assignment that just may make it slightly easier...

IF you decide to have your model sit, he or she MAY move their feet - but then they must keep their rear fastened to the seat. So if they stand, the feet must stay in the same place; if they sit, the feet, and therefore the legs, may move.

Everyone understand?

A New Kind Of Challenge - Framing

Comments