Understanding Framing
Garry Winogrand was one of the great American street photographers. Roaming the city streets with his small Leica camera always at the ready, he captured telling fragments of the life around him. Composed in a split second, Winogrand's photographs used the picture frame to isolate slices of daily reality. Within the rectangular picture frame, he balanced geometric shapes and drew dynamic lines toward significant points in the picture that piqued the viewer's curiosity and imagination. In this Discussion, you analyze the framing elements of a Winogrand photograph.
To prepare for this Discussion:
Read Chapter 1 in your course text, Photographer's Eye
Review the Garry Winogrand photograph, Untitled, 1950s.
Review photographs from all the websites listed in this week's Learning Resources.
Consider the type of frame used by Winogrand and how the framing draws the viewer into the picture and sets the stage for the telling of a story.
Consider the orientation of the Winogrand photograph, Untitled, 1950s:
What considerations might Winogrand have taken when filling the frame?
How did Winogrand divide the frame?
Where is the subject of the photograph in relation to the space surrounding that subject?