Close up or context? Choosing framing for your photos

Although my natural tendency is to zoom into most subjects, if I had to choose between always capturing just the close-ups, or just the context, it would be a difficult decision.

For as much as the close-up shots melt a mama’s heart, backing off a little (or a lot) in order to include the context of the moment can be exactly what it takes to reveal something special. Have you noticed that photojournalists almost always get the context? That’s because it’s relevant to the story as a whole. With photojournalism, chances are you only get one shot to tell the whole story, so it’s got to include everything. Expression, emotion, composition, and context. Luckily, we moms usually get more than one shot. But this is an idea you can use to creatively challenge yourself to tell the whole story with just one image.

My philosophy is pretty simple. Shoot a little of everything. Get right in your child’s sweet face and capture that freckly nose. Go wide and capture the whole crib with your tiny baby swaddled inside. Shoot the spilled Cheerios on the floor as the Hot Wheels roll by. The more variety in your photographs, the better the stories they will tell.
In Elevate the Everyday, Tracey Clark shows how each day of our lives is full of potential for great photography. Focusing on the moments that are most precious to us, she offers a host of inspirational ideas enabling the reader’s photographic achievements to grow, turning the incidents in a family’s life – arrivals, departures, childhood, and parties – into beautiful, captivating images that will stand the test of time. Most of all, learn to turn the ordinary and everyday into the extraordinary with this unique guide to picturing motherhood.
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Elevate the Everyday by Tracey Clark
£6.99, Download the PDF now!
This PDF version retains the styling of the original print book.
RRP for print edition: £17.99
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