February 21, 2010
The Frame – Inside and Out
One of the givens of photography is the existence of the frame. The viewfinder automatically crops the periphery of every image that we capture. The frame can feel very confining, but it can also be very freeing.
I feel the confinement of the frame when the image that I wish to capture is large and detailed. The image overwhelms the space that I can capture. Digital photography makes it possible to capture multiple images and stitch them together, but these images never have the impact of the original scene. These images get their power from their ability to remind one of that initial experience.
Like a microscope, however, the frame has the power to reveal small details that can be quite startling. These details are often lost or ignored in our daily lives. This especially hit home when I worked on a memorial piece for 9/11.
The piece I had in mind was an abstract using a stylized outline of a US flag superimposed over images of eyes. Before beginning work on a composite piece, I will often use clip art for a rough mock up. I chose several different faces, cropping away all but the eyes. Even though most of the clip art faces were smiling, the eyes showed a striking emotional depth. In this case the frame revealed a great deal. The final piece using the eyes of particpants and spectators at a 2002 Memorial Day parade was quite powerful.
The next time you think of discarding an image try readjusting the frame. Use the zoom and crop tools to explore the images within the image. You may find hidden gems.
