CONSIDER FRAME PROPORTIONS

How negative space can define the commercial appeal of your work

subject size within your composition is as important as its placement. a wider-framed shot will show more of the environment and allows greater freedom to place the key zones. this is especially significant in portrait orientation, which is more restricting for publishing purposes. if it is essential to shoot in this format, aim to create a more ‘finished’ frame, with space for headings, copy and allowance for scaling in website banners.

Portrait orientation suited this location, but the tight crop has left the image with limited space for any additional design elements. any further cropping, such as that necessary for web design reasons, may thus spoil the overall impact.

While this subject may not seem correctly framed in isolation, there is default space above the bird’s head for some extra text. there is also comfortable room left after scaling for a landscape webpage frame.