The Photographer's Eye: Graphic Guide

EXTREME

Of all the places to put a subject, right at the edge or in a corner is the most extreme and, frankly, the least likely. As the frame is meant to enclose, there needs to be a reason for doing something like this, otherwise it just looks perverse. There are many possible reasons, and they depend on the scene and what the photographer is trying to show; but as long as there’s some logic, the viewer is likely to accept it, although not necessarily agree. One reason that crops up quite often is to make the background dominate the subject, and the most common situation involves a human figure and a specific setting. In this case, there was an entirely logical and graphic reason for placing the top-hatted stockbroker (yes, some used to wear ...