Tiger Woods does not stand at the tee and think about keeping his head down, slowing his backswing, keeping his left arm stiff and making sure he follows through with his club. No. He only thinks about where to place the ball on the fairway or the green.
Nor, in my opinion, does any really great photographer think of all the things that you are suggesting that he should think about when framing a shot. He mearly sees the shot, frames it and takes it.
And he doesn't need to shoot it several times, as he knows he got it when he squeezes the shutter button.
It's done. It's over.... and it's as simple and instinctual as breathing.
At least it is for me.
Bob, from Ohio
Basically, he was saying that there's more to good composition than framing. Think about two approaches to composing a particular shot. First you set your zoom to 14mm and frame so that the subject's face comprises about a third of the width of the frame. Take the shot. Then set your zoom to 45mm and walk backwards until again, the subject's face comprises about a third of the width of the frame. These won't be equivalent compositions! In the first the subject will appear larger relative to the environment, this can give the observer a feeling of relative insignificance. In the second shot, much less of the environment is visible in the frame. It can give more of a sense of intimacy... that the observer is occupying the same space as the subject. I'm a novice and certainly not an artist and there are certainly other ways to use angle of view and perspective in composing a shot. The point is that there is more to an artful composition than simple framing, and a skillful photographer, whether using a zoom or a prime lens, will choose a focal length with an understanding of the resultant angle of view and how it effects the composition, and not just to achieve a particular frame or field of view.
Carl
The Chaste Student
