Composition: Framing of Shots

By George Moore

Composition

Framing;

180 degree rule/ Rule of Thirds

Use of diagonals;

Depth of Field

Deep and shallow focus;

Focus pulls;

Framing

Shots are all about composition. Rather than pointing the camera at a person or object, you need to compose an image. Framing is the process of creating composition.

Framing technique is very subjective. What one person finds dramatic, another person may find pointless.

The next few slides I will be explaining the different composition framing shots.

180 Degree Rule

This 180 degree rule ensure directional consistency from shot to shot.

Rule of Thirds

The viewfinder screen is divided into thirds horizontally and vertically. When framing a shot, the cameraperson should consider theses imaginary lines by preferably placing the center of one of the four intersecting points or on one of the lines.

Diagonals

In a diagonal composition, at least one diagonal line intersects with one or more of the rectangular frame’s four corners. Typically, this composition adds a sense of purpose, harmony, and stablility of the image.

Depth of Field

Depth of field is the amount of distance between the nearest and farthest objects that appear in acceptably sharp focus in the shot

Deep Focus

Deep focus is a technique that incorporates a large depth of field so the foreground, middle ground and background are all in focus and clear.

Shallow Focus

This chess picture is an example of shallow focus, which is opposite of deep focus. The chess piece in the foreground is sharp, but the piece in the background is a blur.

Focus Pull

Focus pull is useful for directing the viewers attention. For example, if there are two people in the shot but only one is in focus, that person is the subject of attention. If the focus changes to the other person, they become the subject. This is often used in drama dialogues- the focus shifts backwards and forwards between the people speaking. A slightly more subtle trick is to focus on a person speaking then pull focus to another persons silent reaction

By change during the shot, this means adjusting the focus from one subject to another.