Interesting.

Pre task thoughts

I'm thinking that this will be a tricky one, and pleasantly challenging too. It's almost like zooming in without zooming in; I mean, focusing on just one part, or section of the frame while trying to ignore the other parts sounds onerous, although not impossible to get used to. I am wondering how much the eye will play its part when I try to compose the section of the grid; will it include forms to create some harmony or balance by using peripheral vision, seeing things out of the corner of my eye inadvertently? I bet it does.

Not having a specific subject to stick to is surely a very liberating feeling at first, although I am having trouble thinking about what to shoot because of that freedom. Oh dear, here I go again, thinking too much.

I'd like to try a few macros with this, as this will make it easier for me to concentrate on just one area of the frame, I think, seeing as we don't have to bother with the rest of the frame, as the brief suggests. Maybe a few wide angle shots too will help me see how aware I will actually be of the rest of the frame; peripheral vision is kind of hard to turn off after all…

Putting some ideas and sketches down in my notebook the other day, seems to have helped me think about a few things: it’ll probably be better if I choose the framing part of the grid towards the edge of the viewfinder/screen. Why’s that? Well, I’ve noticed that if I frame centrally, then my eye flicks around picking out elements with which to create, presumably, a semblance of structure within the pictorial space (I have this niggling feeling that I should NOT be fighting this ‘visual aid’, and should let it do what it needs to do).
Whereas, by placing, or framing the intended subject towards the edge, or one side of the viewfinder/screen, I am emphasizing the fact that I need to force myself to concentrate on just that space and not the frame as a whole… So hard to do judging by my first efforts (contact sheets below).

---

First batch

I found that once I started shooting and looking for the tighter frame within a frame approach it became much easier to do. Sometimes we just have to get out there and try.