SBD Dauntless
captured by D4s / 80-400VR3
It seems like such a small thing, and it is, but a simple nudge of a subject in the frame can make all the difference. Personally, I’m going to make that nudge in the viewfinder because I use ever pixel in telling my visual storytelling. When you have a static subject like a rock or stamp, it’s much easier and safer to move the subject around in the viewfinder to find the place you like it the best. But when the subject is moving like the SBD Dauntless here, you gotta know where you want the subject and commit quickly. You can see in these two frame to frame images how much the background changes in a matter of seconds. How do you make the choice of subject placement in a split second?
SBD Dauntless
captured by D4s / 80-400VR3
There is no silver bullet for this one for a couple of reasons. The biggest is YOU as it is your photograph, your story. Next you have to consider the end use. Placement in the frame for a photograph going on the wall could be totally different if the same photo is for a magazine article. Finally there is the subject itself. Why in this case of the photos of the SBD do I prefer the top image over the bottom one? If you’re saying it’s because the bottom image is centered, that’s not the answer. I have NO problem with centered subjects when the elements in the frame support it. In this case, I prefer the top frame because it gives a hint of the type of aircraft the SBD is, a dive bomber. That slight gesture of the SBD (created in part by titling the camera body) and its placement in the frame is why I like it best. To tell its story it didn’t take much, it takes just a nudge.