Every time you look through the viewfinder of your camera, you frame and press the shutter, you are using a plane. Surely at this point many of them use them by intuition, or you have become accustomed to some of them because you feel comfortable, it is your style or you have not stopped to think too much about it and the many possibilities and messages that they transmit.
As a plane, the level or proportion and the angle that your protagonist occupies within the frame is understood, and depending on that, you can decide what you are going to explain; Do you want to be close ?, Away ?, Do you want to place it in a context ?, Do you want to give more importance to the context than to your protagonist? Are you going to photograph it directly in the eyes? Or are you going to photograph it from a high place?
The planes offer multiple meanings and sensations, and using them consciously, will become another way to convey an emotion, a message; In short, they will help you explain the story you've decided to represent in images. We will see all types of differentiated planes in two groups, the first will group the planes according to the size of a subject in the scene (proximity or distance) and the second, depending on the angle of the protagonist with respect to your camera.
DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE SUBJECT IN THE SCENE (PROXIMITY OR DISTANCE)
Large general plane or long plane:
The general plane is the most descriptive, since it is the most open plane (the one that captures the highest percentage of the scene). Here the characters have no identity or have very little, since the important thing is the location; the scenario or context of the image. The general or long planes (sometimes also called panoramic) are the ones you use for example to photograph landscapes, whether urban or natural. Although in principle, it is a plane in which no particular characters stand out, you can use it to transfer drama to the image. A person (or object) alone in the middle of a vast space, automatically leads us to a feeling of loneliness or detachment.
For this type of plans, the most recommended objective is the wide angle (from approximately 14mm to 30mm), as it is the one that allows the most angle to be collected from a scene.
Long General PlaneGeneral plane:
This map allows you to contemplate the full-length characters but also extensive context information; It allows you to recognize the subject and the environment precisely. It is not as 'impersonal' as the previous one, but the background remains at this point, just as important on a visual level, as the object or person portrayed. This type of images can be found in documentary photography, fashion and travel among others. It is widely used in cinematographic language because it allows the viewer to be placed in a clear and precise context.
General planeWhole plane (or figure plane):
The entire plane shows the subject in full, framed by the frame of the photograph from head to toe but without cutting either. In this plane, you start to focus attention on the character, you are able to recognize all the details and characteristics of the portrayed, with some relevant information of the environment. This is the foreground of those described so far, which would fall into the category of 'portrait', although it is the farthest plane from the subject in this type of photography. If you are interested in the portrait, I recommend that you combine this article on planes with that of Caro, which speaks of body language in the portrait.
Entire plane (or figure plane)'American' plane or plane:
This type of plane is known as 'American or Western' because it became popular thanks to this film genre. The plane ¾, allowed them a good framing of the holsters and a good angle from which to record when they drew the gun. In this case, the subject is framed approximately from the head to, more or less, the knees. This type of plane allows you to sufficiently highlight the face and figure of the person.
3/4 plane or American planeMiddle or waist plane:
In this plane you do focus completely on the subject photographed, you are also getting closer, so the degree of intimacy is gradually increasing. This plane is characterized by framing the character from the head to the waist. It is a plane widely used in fashion and in 'formal' portraits (interviews, official portraits, news presenters ...). It is considered a type of intermediate portrait in which feelings and intimacy are already beginning to be associated with the subject photographed.
Mid or waistMedium short plane (or bust plane):
The medium short plane includes approximately the face and bust of the person photographed. Here the figure appears almost decontextualized, especially if you shoot vertically. Its purpose is to capture feelings, they are more dramatic and descriptive images.
Medium short plane or bust planeForeground:
It is a plane of the face including the shoulders or part of them. On this level, a very high degree of intimacy is already reached. With him they try to enhance the features of the face, the look, the expression, the gestures ... it is the portrait of the face itself. It has a high emotional identification with the viewer.
ForegroundForegroundVery close-up:
The face completely fills the frame, so the look is not distracted by any background element. The face is the message itself, through which you can express a thought, a feeling or an emotion. Here the degree of intimacy and closeness is extreme, as well as that perceived by the viewer who observes the image. You can perfectly analyze all the features of the face, the look, etc. It has a large intimate load, and usually fits from the beginning of the head to approximately the chin.
Very close-up
If you want more inspiration for your portraits, be sure to look at the fantastic selection of the challenge on this topic here .
Detail shot:
Shows the detail of an object or a person. If you have a macro, this is a fascinating plane, how fascinating it is, also, to look for those details that nobody else sees, to look for beauty in the little things (literally), their textures, their colors ... You can convey a lot of sensations with just a small fragment of reality.
Detail shot
If you need some more inspiration, check out the selection of details you sent the blog readers here .
Too many concepts? Here is a story ...
Once upon a time any morning stopped in time. You go to a crowded square (long general plan). As you move forward, you see something that catches your attention a few meters further (general shot), you keep moving forward to observe it better, you are only a few meters away; at this height you can clearly distinguish the silhouette, from head to toe (whole plane). Since everything is still stopped and nobody watches you, you decide to get even closer to observe clearly. At this point you are close enough to distinguish it perfectly, although as you look straight ahead, you start to lose the information of the lower part of the figure (plane ¾), one more step and you perfectly glimpse your subject from the waist up (medium plane or waist), just a little more, if you extend your hand you can touch it, although as everything is a bit strange you prefer not to do it ... A little more, now you only focus on the bust and face, (middle plane), another step, shoulders and face (foreground), and finally, you are so close that You have your face right in front of yours (you pray that no one is watching you or that the world does not turn right now), you analyze in detail all its expression, its features, its look (very close-up), but what you Interesting is not in the face, it is in those eyes, so you get even closer and look in the reflection (detail plane). You are surprised what you are seeing, that reflection ... does not reflect the square, you recognize the sofa, the bookshelf with the books, the carpet, that horrible picture that you were given for your birthday ... shoulders and face (foreground), and finally, you are so close that you have your face right in front of yours (you pray that no one is looking at you or that the world does not turn right now), analyze in detail all its expression , its features, its look (very close-up), but what interests you is not in the face, it is in those eyes, so you get even closer and look in the reflection (detail plane). You are surprised what you are seeing, that reflection ... does not reflect the square, you recognize the sofa, the bookshelf with the books, the carpet, that horrible picture that you were given for your birthday ... shoulders and face (foreground), and finally, you are so close that you have your face right in front of yours (you pray that no one is looking at you or that the world does not turn right now), analyze in detail all its expression , its features, its look (very close-up), but what interests you is not in the face, it is in those eyes, so you get even closer and look in the reflection (detail plane). You are surprised what you are seeing, that reflection ... does not reflect the square, you recognize the sofa, the bookshelf with the books, the carpet, that horrible picture that you were given for your birthday ... his look (very close-up), but what interests you is not in the face, it is in those eyes, so you get even closer and look in the reflection (detail plane). You are surprised what you are seeing, that reflection ... does not reflect the square, you recognize the sofa, the bookshelf with the books, the carpet, that horrible picture that you were given for your birthday ... his look (very close-up), but what interests you is not in the face, it is in those eyes, so you get even closer and look in the reflection (detail plane). You are surprised what you are seeing, that reflection ... does not reflect the square, you recognize the sofa, the bookshelf with the books, the carpet, that horrible picture that you were given for your birthday ...
TYPES OF PLANES DEPENDING ON THE CAMERA ANGLE:
Cenital plane:
The camera is placed above the character at a perpendicular angle . That is, you are right above what you are photographing, and what you are photographing you have just below.
Cenital planeChopped flat:
The camera is located above the character but at a more open angle than the zenith. This type of angle gives your subject a certain dramatic load, since you position your character or object below a 'normal' angle, which dwarfs him, and gives him a certain degree of vulnerability. You can use it in any type of photography, but you will see that it is common in children's photography (since they are naturally smaller).
Chopped flatNormal plane:
The camera is placed parallel to the ground, that is, both you and your camera look in front of the character or object. It is our usual way of looking, evokes closeness and confidence.
Normal planeCounter-chopped plane:
The camera is below the character. This point of view enhances the character, you grant strength and grandeur.
Counter-chopped planeNadir plane:
The camera is completely below the character and perpendicular to the ground. If the counter-chopped enlarges the character, the nadir gives it almost unreal proportions.
Nadir plane
You can see them all in a grouped way in this scheme that I show you below:
OTHER TYPES OF PLANS:
Counter-plane:
It is a fairly cinematic plane but you can also use in photography. It involves using two planes, one opposed to the other or in response to the other. For example, a back facing our main character can give us a sense of connection, conversation or relationship between the two characters that appear, even if we simply see our backs.
Subjective plane:
It is a plane that in a single photographic image does not make much sense, since it is used in cinema to show in a subjective way, what the protagonist is seeing at that moment. It may, however, be useful in a photographic series, so just in case I present it to you
I think that the moral of this article could be summed up in an imperative with which I hope you will agree ... Move! Forward, backward, approach, get away, get on a ladder, throw yourself on the ground ... Get dirty, challenge the heights, have fun, which in the end is always the most important thing. Do you want that picture? Go for it If you get it, your muddy pants, your sweater pierced by the tree branch you climbed to get that zenith ... it will all be worth it. When you finally get home and download that image ... You should see your face at that magical moment. I got it! (And if photography doesn't work out for you, with everything you've learned about plans in this article, you'll always have the cinema ;-))
And you know, if it has been useful, interesting, or has helped you solve any doubts, share it with your friends, family, or whomever you want. Thank you!
