Framing Reality
A few months ago I published my new eBook Master of the Frame. In this blog post I describe the process of photography of a perceived and understood reality and how this process can become more conscious, personal and deliberate. This is the base of the my new eBook, which I feel very passionate about. It took me 4 years to write it and get all the photos that illustrate the text. I have vert much enjoyed working on it and have learned so much during the process of writing it. My wish was to be able to share it with you and that is how this eBook became a reality. Today I would like to share some of the background of the elements that all add up to a photograph that expresses our relationship to the subject of the photograph
Contrary to what many people still believe, photography is not about the one and only ubiquitous reality. Even if we were to skip all editing, keep raw files unchanged, the frame would still only contain a part of reality as perceived and orchestrated by the photographer. By orchestrated I do not mean that things have been laid in place, but rather the arrangement of the elements within the frame in an intentional way that emphasizes what the photographer saw, felt or prioritized and possibly all these three at the same time. Reality is fluid, it changes from moment to moment, it is not a constant and therefore a photograph has the potential to hold within its four edges a piece of reality as perceived and understood by the photographer at one moment in time. It is the capturing of a fragment of what continues to be now.
Reality is never perceived unbiased. This is partly the result of our biology, which has instructed the brain on what things are generally speaking worth keeping an eye out for. This was and is a crucial skill for the survival of any species. If we could not filter reality in a way that makes one thing more important than all the others, we would simply not be able to function as human beings. We would be unable to cross the street as our brain would place equal importance on a lamppost and a truck moving towards us at full speed. From the day we are born, we learn about what is necessary to keep us alive and this involves filtering all the things that we see and hear to prioritize what matters most for not only our survival, but also what is most meaningful to us personally.
If we would be standing in a forest and someone appeared in the distance, our eyes (or rather our brain) stick to it like the proverbial glue. Biologically speaking the trees are not posing a threat, an unknown person however could. This is the main reason why I do not like to have humans in my forest images. They will be attracting all the attention and the picture will not be about the stillness of nature anymore. I can really get annoyed by the ubiquitous advice given to beginning landscape photographers to add a human being to the scene to provide a sense of scale to the photograph. The question is IF scale is what the image is about, IF a human being should be the main attraction in the scene, because undoubtedly this person will attract the attention away from the scene. There has to be an intention behind this choice, it is not a prescription to be used by all photographers alike. I believe that to do our own impressions justice, we need to think about what we see, how we see it, why it matters so much to us and how we are going to create a photograph that does justice to this version of reality as perceived by us as unique individuals.
Tiny human being on a forest path. What is the subject of this image now? Most probably it is about the scale itself, about the enormous size of the trees, about the fragility of us humans, but just because the trees are huge, does not mean we can only tell a story about scale. It is not a prescription for all landscape photographs to be used at all times.
Even after our upbringing, in which we learn to look out for dangers and risks and considering our brains' own inherent way of prioritizing, our preferences, our unique outlook on the world, our upbringing and our experiences will make us see differently than others. I have an eye for the smallest details. My grandmother installed in me a sensitivity to seeing the extraordinary in the most ordinary. My previous career in designing and making soft sculpture pieces made me very aware of balance and extended and improved my attention to detail, which I have had my entire life. This all contributes to how I see the world. After the childhood in which I learned that human beings are not those I should blindly trust, I seek scenes without the presence of other human beings. As an introvert I need to be alone a lot and so it does not suit my personality to add humans in my photographs. If you are a sports enthusiast or you love big parties and events, I am very sure you see the world around you very differently than I do and this is exactly what makes it possible for us to create unique art that is true to each of us.
Some of my clients expressed the hope that they would capture reality without a super-imposed vision of their own. I think this is an impossibility. How we see is not only colored by our own vision, but also the visions we have seen expressed in the work of others. We tend to have a library of stored images we have seen of a place and when we come across a scene that is the same or similar, we tend to recognize the composition of others. We might also walk up to something and be so awestruck that we forget all about the most important tool in photography, which is our own humanity. Often this results in snapping a quick peel-off of reality without involving our conscious mind, without thinking about how we can do justice to what we are experiencing and seeing. I think we can do better than just creating this simple peel-off of that first impression. If we take more time and think about the frame itself, the edges that will contain our chosen part of reality, about what will need to be included and how it needs to be arranged, the mood, rhythm, balance and harmony and the viewpoint that will convey the strongest possible visual based on our impression, we will go beyond the superficial and add our own humanity to our work.
A very recent image of a waterfall that I found very challenging to photograph, mostly because the huge vertical drop of the water without any smaller cascades. I wanted to convey the sense of awe and stillness that we experienced when we were there and so I spent a long time finding the right angle and focal length and in the end decided that colour would get in the way of conveying this sense of stillness which is why this is a black and white image.
This approach lead me to investigating all the different elements that can go into the piece of reality as contained within the rectangle of the image that we make. It started in 2021 when I wanted to find out for myself what was true about some widely spread and believed preconceptions and I spent years testing all the advice, tips, rules, tricks and prescriptions to see if they were really true. I was born with a mind that questions everything and so this project started out as a personal endeavor, but in time my archive started filling up with test shots and I thought that this would make a wonderful book as I wanted to share what I had learned. This meant I had to start making even more illustrative images for the text that I was writing. All the text was ready in the summer of 2023, when all of a sudden my life as I knew it came to a halt and when I came back to the text in the end of 2024, I did not recognize most of it. I started rewriting the entire eBook and finally published it as Master of the Frame earlier this year. Doing something that is this labour intensive whilst also caring for your spouse demands a lot of energy and afterwards I unfortunately did not feel up to telling people about this eBook as much as I should, which was a betrayal to the time, care and energy I spent writing it.
The knowledge I gained in all my testing of the different elements that together make a photograph, is shared in this eBook. I tested everything from camera systems to lenses, focal lengths, aspect ratio's, compositions to colour, black and white, balance and so much more. All these aspects can be made into intentional choices and by doing so I feel that you can steer your photography into a direction that will feel intentional, personal and unique. The different aspects are:
Camera : As you all know this is made into the most essential thing to get right when you are involved in photography. I spent some time on forums earlier this year, because I wanted to read the opinions about the successor of my 6 year old camera, but it turned out there are brand wars going on on these forums that are quite simply mind-boggling. So, does your choice of camera matter? Well, no, not really and yes it does. I have made photographs for the eBook with both a micro four thirds camera with 20 MP and a full frame camera with 47 MP. Was I able to take the same kind of images? Yes, of course I was. The most important thing is to get to know your camera and to accept that every single one has shortcomings or frustrations. I have made it a point to get to know the behaviour of my main camera to such a degree that I know exactly when I can expect it to struggle and what I can do to make up for it. It is still about the human being operating the camera and that human being needs to know how to get the most out of the camera he is working with. I write more about the tests you can do in the previously mentioned eBook.
To a degree however, it can matter which camera you choose. Sometimes cameras just work in a way that feels counterintuitive to some and less so to others. I tend to prioritize weather sealing, durability, longevity, ergonomics, user friendliness and image quality. Weather sealing is so incredibly important in my work. I often work in downpours and I like my camera to keep going, which it does. I also do not want a camera to last me two to three years. But what frustrates me more than anything, is if I keep pushing the wrong buttons even after I have had the camera for some time. This really interferes with your flow. I like to not ever having to look at the buttons when I am working. I want to be able to change the settings without taking my eye from the viewfinder. I also want the camera to have the options to change the aspect ratio. This is also very important to me and probably not so much to others....but perhaps it should be, as I explain later.
So, in a way the right camera can be very important. If it gets in the way consistently, it is not the one you can feel most creative with. The right camera is the one that you can feel most creative with and this is not something that someone else can decide for you.
Lenses and Focal Lengths : Focal Lengths affect the relationships within a frame in a very substantial way. They affect the relationships between the main subjects, but they also affect the relationship between foreground and background. Distractions can become more or less distracting based on the focal length we choose. It is a very important part of the composition process and is very often overlooked.
Colour or Black and White: The language of colour photography is most definitely another one than black and white photography. It requires an intentional approach and it should not just be an afterthought when you feel a colour photograph does not work. Black and white presets on the camera itself however can be very helpful when making a composition. Our brains can be very distracted by all the colours and therefore pay less attention to the distribution of all the elements within the frame. Switching to a black and white preview will help you see the elements as shapes and lines.
Have you ever considered that just because your camera produces colour photographs, that this should also be a choice that you make? I am very fond of deep colours and do not often work in black and white, but I do teach black and white workshops and several mentorships as well and it is fascinating to see the differences in visual language between colour and B&W photography.
Some people prefer bright, bold colours (like Harry Gruyaert and Alex Webb), others like pastels or muted colours. This is also a matter of preference that can be used to our advantage in our photography.
The colours that surround a colour will determine the intensity and also part of the atmosphere of an image, which is why this is a very important part of how the image will be experienced by the viewer.
Aspect Ratio : This is so, so, so very important. People just stick to the native aspect ratio of their cameras and never give this a second thought, even though this is crucial in how your image will be perceived. It is the rectangular box that contains your chosen part of reality and so it is crucial that the box is a good fit. The way the image will be perceived by the viewer is impacted by the chosen aspect ratio more than most photographers think. One scene photographed as a 4:3 (not cropped later!) and one that is photographed as 3:2 will even have an effect on where the eye lands in the image. Aspect Ratio, like all other elements that make up a photograph, should really be considered at the moment of making a photograph, not afterwards. This is because if you photograph a scene as a 3:2, the ceiling in your photograph is lower, because the rectangle is longer. A 4:3 or 1:1 (square) image needs more height, which you probably did not think about when taking the image as a 3:2.
Two photos I took for the eBook. One taken with the M4/3 camera at a 4:3 ratio and one with the full frame camera at a 3:2 ratio
The Frame: What needs to be included, what needs to be excluded, where do we place the edges of the frame and why. The frame is where our impression of reality at one given moment lives on forever (hopefully) as a photograph. Where to place the edges is an essential and intentional decision which determines how this piece of reality is going to be perceived by others. Framing is everything in conveying our own impression what we see in the reality we encountered with our camera.
Compositions: In the eBook I explain about my terms Inclusive and Exclusive Compositions, which essentially comes down to scenes in which the viewer feels he can step into or those that do not extend such an invitation.
I do not believe in composition rules and holding onto them too tightly can lead to very predictable results. The rules are based on things that were done in the past and then interpreted later by others, who were looking for a pattern that could be translated into a template, but art does not advance without risk taking and making up new "rules" and finding new ways.
I believe that a composition is way of arranging things with the intention of achieving some kind of balance or the guidance through the picture. We can however never control completely where the viewer might look first. This does depend on culture as well as the unique perspective of the viewer.
Balance : This is one of the things I feel very strongly about. Balance is where you can add poetry to a photograph or where you can make it uncomfortable to look at. It can make or break an image. All the right elements might be in the frame and there can be pleasing relationships and there could be an attractive main character, but if there is no balance, a photograph will feel "off". This can be an intentional choice, but most of the time the aim will be to create a photograph that feels harmonious when it comes to the distribution of elements within the edges of the frame. There are many methods you can use to create a balanced image and this goes well beyond just the formal symmetrical compositions. Balance is often more easily perceived and felt than explained, but I have studied many art books and tested many methods to help you understand balance better. In my eBook I have made it a point to illustrate everything with real life examples, to help you understand how balance works or does not work.
Depth : Photography makes our three dimensional two dimensional. It is not a diorama in which we can add physical layers, but we can make it look more dimensional by using what I call depth clues. Depth clues are not just the massive foreground element which is the result of the use of a wide angle lens or a frame within a frame. If these tricks are repeated over and over again, a portfolio will soon start to look very contrived. Many things determine if we perceive something as being in the distance, like changes in hue, contrast, but also changes in sharpness, detail, texture and a change in size.
Viewpoint: Which angle shows your main character off in the best possible way. Why should you not always go for the first impression, set up the camera at eye level and then move on to the next scene. Where you stand matters. The height of your tripod and/ or camera matters. Make sure these too become intentional decisions.
Motion : Freezing or emphasizing motion can have a huge effect on the emotional impact of a photograph. It is important though to use it intentionally and to not simply use a long shutter speed to blur moving water or a short shutter speed to freeze the motion of moving leaves. Think about the emotional impact of the scene on you. If you see a rough sea and this is what impresses you, it makes no sense to add a ten stop ND filter to your lens and take a 30 second exposure. This would not do your impression justice. Motion can be used creatively as well, for example with a technique called Intentional Camera Movement.
Light: Without light there would not be a photograph and it is true that some light is more flattering than others, but....you can absolutely work in any kind of light even in a forest. You need to learn how to use each type of light to your advantage. When I let go of the idea that only foggy conditions would give me the best results, I took more photographs, I got more practice and I got better at recognizing what each type of light can bring to a scene. Yes, even harsh sunlight on a summer's day. Even harsh light and cloudless blue skies can be beneficial to some scenes. In the eBook I show examples of what each type of light can bring to a scene. I am glad I proved myself wrong about the mist myth, I don't have to wait around for it to come and I am perfectly fine photographing in all kinds of weather conditions these days.
Going beyond the literal : Making abstract photos of reality can be a very creative type of photography that can be done even when you feel there is nothing to photograph. I make the distinction between extracts and abstracts, which are not the same, even though one does not exclude the other. Abstracts can keep a viewer guessing and I feel it is better to not explain what the picture is really of. That is not important anyway. Photography that is not aimed to be documentary can be ambiguous, can and perhaps must be more about the photographer and his or her relationship to the subject in the photograph, than about the subject itself.
An abstract image
These are the most essential components of a photograph and all of those can be made into deliberate choices, so you can make not only better photos, but also photos that show off who you are as part of the relationship with that fragment of reality in one moment in time. A photograph is always the result of two realities that meet. That of the photographer and that which he or she encounters.
This has become a lengthy blog post. I feel passionate about our personally perceived and interpreted reality within those four edges of the frame, which is why I wrote this eBook. I hope I can inspire others with it and all sales will help me stay a photographer and an educator. This eBook has been in the making for a long time and I have done my very best to make that time well spent so I could deliver the best possible result for the photographers who have been on my mind when I made the many illustrative photographs for all the chapters. It really has been a labour of love.
Thank you so much to all of you who have already purchased this new eBook. Your support is so valuable to me and I really appreciate it more than you might think. It helps me to stay afloat as a photographer and also as a caretaker.
