EDFAT and the Art of Seeing

As street shooters, we Lomographers want to be able to deliver great documentaries and photo essays through our photos. One of the best ways to do this is with the acronym EDFAT. Check out what it means after the jump!

EDFAT was first introduced in the school of journalism at the Arizona State University. It stands for Entire, Details, Frame, Angles, and Time. This acronym hopes to teach you to refine your approach in shooting, and to teach you to see everything in greater detail. While this method is tailored for photojournalists and their photo essays, its lessons are universal and fits well in all brands of photography. Let’s dive in shall we?

Entire – Take the whole scene. Get the complete environment in your photo.This is a great way to start off with your photowalk as it sets the tone for your whole shoot.

Details – As opposed to taking a step back to take everything in, this time around go as close as you can to get the nitty gritty details.

Framing – Pay attention to the surrounding elements of your subject and make the necessary composition adjustments through your viewfinder. If you can frame your subject using any of those elements, your shot will more often than not, be exponentially better.

Angle – Never be content on shooting the easiest angle. Be constantly on the lookout for other, better vantage points. Would it be better to shoot below, above, from the left, from the right? You’ll never know until you try!

Time – Time in this sense is two-fold – it can mean to be quick and get what you can get before you lose the shot, or to be slow and wait for the opportune moment. I’d equate this to seeing a yellow light while on the road. It is up to you to decide whether you want to slow down or speed up.

All photos are from my good friend Chris Yambing

écrit par cruzron le 2013-08-23 dans #lifestyle #photojournalism #edfat