Composing using Viewfinder Edges vs. Film Edges

[Masuro]

When I look through the viewfinder of my Contax 645, I see 95% of what is going to appear on the film. My teacher says that I must always consider that extra 5% when composing my photographs. I can see why he would suggest that but two things have convinced me that I may as well just compose according to what I see in the viewfinder. One, the Contax 645 prints shooting data on the film, some of which is sometimes on the fringes of the image area. Two, when I am printing in the darkroom, the easel usually crops off a bit of the image. I am guessing about 5%. So, to me, it makes sense to just compose based on what I see in the viewfinder. How do others here deal with the 5% of the image not seen in the viewfinder?

 

[Steve Smith]

I only consider what I see in the viewfinder. Your comments about the easel taking up about 5% makes sense.

The easy option would be to agree with your teacher but do it your way.


Steve.

 

[Mick Fagan]

I would suggest you think about turning off the data imprint function, unless you require it for future reference. Then if you one day have some really important part of a picture in the area that the data would normally be, you are ahead.

I have cameras with 100%, 95% and 92% viewfinder coverage. Whatever camera I'm using I generally work on what is in the viewfinder. Very rarely, when I'm using an extreme wide angle lens inside a building, do I guestimate the extra coverage and factor it in.

I agree with Steve, but it is good to know just what you have for the odd time when you need every millimetre of negative.

Mick.

 

[David Henderson]

Its possible that you're taking the teachers advice too literally. Maybe what he means is that you should be aware of things happening round the edge of the frame- eg people/planes/birds about to fly into your picture. Maybe he also means that if you're planning to eliminate distractions near the edge of your frame - eg a car or a wire, pole etc, then allow a bit of room otherwise it'll end up in your picture anyway. Put that way its pretty good advice I'd say.

If I'm using a tripod- which I usually do- I'm always looking at the scene rather than through the finder when deciding when to press the shutter.

 

[Masuro]

He does mean that the picture should be composed according to what will appear on the negative. When something appears on the edge of one of my negatives he says, "You didn't see that, did you? You need to include the extra 5% when composing." I think he prints full frame when he does exhibitions so I can see why he would be extra aware of what is on the edges of the negative.

 

[Nick Zentena]

Some people like to print including the edges of the negative. Or if you contact print larger formats. Both cases it pays to watch the full frame. Otherwise crop when ever you feel like.

 

[juan]

He's trying to teach you to see. Learn to see to the edges of the film. With 35mm you need as much of the negative as you can manage. Learn his way.

When you're out of school, you'll see photos where you know you will need to crop. But you will have learned to see and cropping will a choice you make at the time of exposure - not something you have to do in hopes of rescuing an image.
juan

 

[Sanjay Sen]

I always considered what I saw in the viewfinder, never remembering to take into account the fact that the viewfinder shows less than what will show on the film. I haven't had too many problems with this, though there was the occasional object included in the photo that was not supposed to be there! I think most of these happened when I shot with wide angle lenses, not much of an issue with normal or long lenses. Of course, with LF this problem does not exist, and the smaller format cameras I mostly shoot with these days have 100% viewfinder coverage.


Best wishes,
Sanjay

 

[Masuro]

Before I shoot, I do look at the overall scene and decide what I want in the final print. I then put what I have in my mind in the viewfinder. The extra 5% I consider a little leeway come printing time.

 

[Charles Webb]

I think too much emphasis is being put into the idea of "filling the frame" with valuable information. I have not yet gotten something into one of my negatives that I did not see before I made the exposure. ( excluding 35 mm action sports shots) I have always tried to compose so as to have only one main subject in the frame at a time. Bringing information from the fringes of the scene has never been my goal and can confuse the viewer. My negatives are composed so they can be cropped horizontally or vertically when printed, because I might change my mind several times before I decide how I want it printed. I do not believe that by including every thing including the border is necessary to make a pure or better print.

Personally, most any picture I see with the rebate area included in the final print turns me instantly and totally off.. I usually don't spend any or much time to look at it period. I was schooled and trained that to that to include the rebate even in a contact print was very amateurish and gave the print an unfinished look. So I have never broken that old rule since, I agree with it.

Now the bottom line with me is that anyone else can do what ever they want to please themselves. If you choose to include the rebate it is just fine with me, include what ever you want in your photographs. If you like it fine, but I am most likely not going to. To worry about 5 percent loss of useable space in a negative has never been a concern with me. Do what you think is best for you, then stick to it.


Charlie..............................

 

[Sirius Glass]

* 2

Crop the composition with the viewfinder, but be aware of the surroundings.

"You can't please everybody, so just please yourself." Garden Party, Ricky Nelson

Steve

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

I never crop. Except when I need to.

 

[MattKing]

Pay attention to the edge of the frame, and the background, and the range of brightness, and any colour casts, etc., etc.

The advice of your instructor was good, because it is likely to lead you to carefully consider the components of what will show up initially on the negative, and eventually on the print.

If you are shooting transparencies for projection, or film for cinema, it is even more important (less chance for future cropping).

Anything that causes you to step back (figuratively) and observe carefully and think about everything in your photograph is useful.

Sometimes I think that one of the most reliable measures of the skill of a photographer is how observant they are about what is in the backgrounfd of their photographs.

My $0.02 worth.

Matt

 

[Videbaek]

I seem to have made quite a few pictures where that "invisible" 5% or so outside the viewfinder has given me trouble. Quite often, I want to know what will be in the negative frame right to a split hair at the negative edge.
With experience, I can now "see" this part accurately. I think your teacher's teaching is spot on here: if something is hard to see, then it's very important to be able to see it. I think Matt King (above) is right. One of the most important things in photographic composition is what is off-frame -- the relationship between what is in-frame and what is off-frame is defined by the negative edge.

 

[Shawn Mielke]

SLRs are intended to allow us to be totally inside and in control of the image moment. SLR viewfinders should completely accomodate this (as in 100%). If you must work with less than 100% coverage than you ought to find a way to be in 100% control. Why else give a fig about such things as framing and composition. Creative accidents and subconscious intentions will happen anyway. Be in control of your frame.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Before I shoot, I do look at the overall scene and decide what I want in the final print. I then put what I have in my mind in the viewfinder. The extra 5% I consider a little leeway come printing time.

With only 41 years' experience, and two or three dozen photographically illustrated books published, I have to agree with you. But I may change my mind when I become as knowledgeable as your teacher.