# Picture Decisions: The Vantage Point and Frame > [!quote] > > How do you make a photograph that is more interesting than what happened? How > do you make a photograph that is more beautiful than what was photographed? -- > Garry Winograd > > [Garry Winograd at Rice University](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmwkWV4rwto) [The History of Photography in 5 Minutes](https://www.popphoto.com/this-video-gives-an-extremely-brief-history-photography) ## The Vantage Point - _vantage point_ = where is the camera - Be careful of the "normal" vantage point - Look for something unexpected to "block" the _nominal_ subject - Looking too close can sometimes cause discomfort - Try go lower or higher - Create seeing-through vantage point - What it allows you to see? What it allows you not to see? ## The Frame - Create relationships between things, as we chose to frame them together. - Balance composition = everything has a purpose, it's about the weight of interest - _Negative Space_ = the space surrounding the nominal subject - Positive vs Negative space, foreground vs. background. - Frame within a frame. - _Orientation_ - framing horizontally or vertically - _Level_ - the normal perception for gravity, or skewed picture - _Asymmetry_ - 1/3 vs 2/3 - _Abstraction_ - isolate the objects - Black line around the frame indicates that the photographer is not cropping the frame. - Chopping elements in an unexpected way. It may create tension, ominous feeling, mystery, or fast movement. - _Juxtapose_ ## Responding to Photographs - words useful for evaluating photographs > [!question] Questions to Ask > > - What techniques are used? > - What visual elements make up the photograph? > - How did the elements work together? > - How is the image composed. > > Before judging good/bad, like/dislike, try understand the picture. - Camera Work - Exposure - Depth of field - Light - ISO - Vantage point - Focus/Lack of Focus - Framing - Subject blur/stop action - Camera blur - Composition - Form - Dominant Feature/Detail - Symmetry/Asymmetry - Tone - Line/Shape - Vertical/Horizontal - Perspective - Negative Space - Texture - Point of View - Pattern - Content, Concept, Meaning - Documentary - Allegorical - Portrait - Still Life - Metaphorical - Experimental - Landscape