Framing (visual arts)

For other uses, see Framing (disambiguation).

Not to be confused with Field size or Picture frame.

Framing: trees focus on the church of Weissenbach an der Triesting, Austria

A framing view of the Ueteresen Rosarium.

In visual arts and particularly cinematography, framing is the presentation of visual elements in an image, especially the placement of the subject in relation to other objects. Framing can make an image more aesthetically pleasing and keep the viewer's focus on the framed object(s). It can also be used as a repoussoir, to direct attention back into the scene. It can add depth to an image, and can add interest to the picture when the frame is thematically related to the object being framed.

Purpose

The goal is often to focus the viewer’s attention upon the subject, but the ends and means are ultimately at the discretion of the artist. It is accomplished by manipulating the viewpoint of the image, rather than the object(s) within.

Framing, especially in the photographic arts, is primarily concerned with the position and perspective of the viewer. The position of the observer has tremendous impact on their perception of the main subject, both in terms of aesthetics and in their interpretation of its meaning.

For example, if the viewer was placed very far away from a lone subject in an image, the viewer will gather more information about the subjects’ surroundings and bearing, but very little in terms of his emotions. If the setting was in the middle of flat plain, the viewer might perceive a sense of loneliness or that the subject is lost, because the viewer himself cannot find any visual cues to orient the location of the subject. If some foreground elements are put in front of the viewer, partially obscuring the subject, the viewer would take the position of an unseen observer. Especially if the artist chooses to hint malicious intent, a member of the audience might feel uncomfortable looking through the eyes of a stalker.

Factors determining frame

Repoussoir - Foreground elements placed along the sides of the frame to lead the viewer’s eye onto the subject. Can be used to create a more closed and stable space in the frame.
Depth of field (DoF) - The distance between the nearest and furthest points in which an object will be in focus. A longer distance means the DoF is deeper, and a shorter distance means the DoF is shallower. This selective focus technique allows the artist to directly control which areas of the frame the viewer should be focused on.
White space - Negative space used in framing to increase aesthetic appeal. This principle of design allows a balance in the frame to positive space. The empty area can form contrasting silhouettes with the subject and thus become a meaningful aspect of the frame; however, negative space is used mostly as a neutral or complementary background in order to draw focus upon the central subject.
Vignetting - A naturally occurring optical phenomenon where the brightness or saturation is reduced at the periphery of an image. Can be produced mechanically or digitally to bring focus to the well-lit and saturated areas of the image, known as the “hotspot” effect.
Perspective distortion - An optical technique where lenses of different focal lengths are used to affect the perceived distance between the foreground and background. Wider lenses extend the distance and show more of the background, which can be used to reveal a detailed view of the subject and his immediate surroundings in the same frame. Longer lenses compress the distance, because it can minimize the perception of space within the frame, it can be used on buildings and cars to create a scene of congestion.
Color and lighting

References

Photography

Outline

Terminology	35 mm equivalent focal length Angle of view Aperture Black and white Chromatic aberration Circle of confusion Color balance Color temperature Depth of field Depth of focus Exposure Exposure compensation Exposure value F-number Film format Film speed Focal length Guide number Hyperfocal distance Metering mode Perspective distortion Photograph Photographic printing Photographic processes Reciprocity Red-eye effect Science of photography Shutter speed Sync Zone System

Genres	Abstract Aerial Architectural Conceptual Conservation Cloudscape Documentary Ethnographic Erotic Fashion Fine-art Fire Forensic Glamour High-speed Landscape Lomography Nature Nude Photojournalism Pornography Portrait Post-mortem Selfie Social documentary Sports Still life Stock Street Vernacular Underwater Wedding Wildlife

Techniques	Afocal Bokeh Brenizer Contre-jour Cyanotype ETTR Fill flash Fireworks Harris shutter HDRI High-speed Holography Infrared Kirlian Kite aerial Long-exposure Macro Mordançage Multiple exposure Night Panning Panoramic Photogram Print toning Redscale Rephotography Rollout Scanography Sabatier effect Stereoscopy Stopping down Strip Slit-scan Sun printing Tilt–shift Miniature faking Time-lapse Ultraviolet Vignetting Xerography

Composition	Diagonal method Framing Headroom Lead room Rule of thirds Simplicity

Equipment	Camera light-field field pinhole press rangefinder SLR still TLR toy view Darkroom enlarger safelight Film base format holder stock Filter Flash beauty dish cucoloris gobo hood hot shoe monolight Reflector snoot Softbox Lens Wide-angle lens Zoom lens Telephoto lens Manufacturers Monopod Movie projector Slide projector Tripod head Zone plate

History	Timeline of photography technology Analog photography Autochrome Lumière Box camera Calotype Camera obscura Daguerreotype Dufaycolor Heliography Painted photography backdrops Photography and the law Glass plate Visual arts

Digital photography	Digital camera D-SLR comparison MILC camera back Digiscoping Digital versus film photography Film scanner Image sensor CMOS APS CCD Three-CCD camera Foveon X3 sensor Image sharing Pixel

Color photography	Color Print film Reversal film Color management color space primary color CMYK color model RGB color model

Photographic processing	Bleach bypass C-41 process Cross processing Developer Digital image processing Dye coupler E-6 process Fixer Gelatin silver process Gum printing K-14 process Print permanence Push processing Stop bath

Lists	Most expensive photographs Photographers Norwegian Polish street women

Category Portal

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 8/19/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.