Barren branches, Harshaw, Arizona, 2009I use my frame to abstract a barren tree, dividing it in half and leaving the trunk out of the image. The framing forces the imagination of the viewer to see the trunk and the other half of the tree in their mind’s eye. It also increases the energy of the branches, which seem to be reaching for help. By eliminating the central trunk, I?ve made the branches somehow fly on their own.
We have two opportunities to frame an image to help communicate an idea. First, and most important, is when we look into our viewfinder to make the picture itself. If we are not happy with the result, we can sometimes strengthen our photographs by cropping them, which gives us a second chance to use the boundaries of our pictures as a tool for expression. When I frame my travel images in my LCD viewfinder, I constantly watch the edges of my pictures, making sure that what is out should be out and what is in should be in. The frame functions as an editor, including or rejecting information according to our intentions. But framing images is more than just a matter of in or out. I also use it to suggest movement, imply the presence of content outside of the picture, and offer a sense of scale, intimacy, fragmentation, or depth. I can sometimes even abstract my subject with it.
Film and now electronic images have been influencing world events for almost a century now. The p...
Lost in time, Lisbon, Portugal, 2004 I shot this scene from the top of Lisbon’s fa...
The familiar profile of Half Dome is over eight miles from this viewpoint, which is just beyond ...
Good lighting is the key to a good presentation. The audience should see as much of the presenter...
A wall can be a barrier. It can hide things from us. But walls can also be very revealing, an exp...
Primary Colors, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, 2005 A small fountain in the courtyard of a San Mi...
We have two opportunities to frame an image to help communicate an idea. First, and most importan...
Basic human values – the emotions, beliefs, traditions, and knowledge that we hold in common as h...
Some photographers think that “street-photography” means just shooting pictures of people in publ...
Expressive images use layers to deepen and broaden ideas. I speak of layering here as an organizi...
Landscape photography is more than just taking pictures of a beautiful natural scene. It involves...
State Fair, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 2003 Clutching a bag of popcorn and wearing a western style ...
Since July, 1997, Hong Kong has been part of China under a special “One Country, Two System...
Some believe that photographic “composition” is purely a matter of aesthetics. I don&...
Child with Offerings, Vientiane, Laos, 2005; from Pbase Gallery Twenty Two: Bl...
Village street, Khajuraho, India, 2008 By Phil Douglis I use negative space here to create ten...
Alone, Phoenix, Arizona, 2009 By Phil Douglis At mid-day, a high sun will create deep shadows ...
Historical harmony, Ipswich, Massachusetts, 2009, By Phil Douglis A figure out of Ipswich histo...
