Cinematography and photography have quite a lot in common. In fact, considering video is just “moving pictures” at the end of the day, there’s really more in common than you might originally think. That means there’s also a lot of crossover with the terms and lingo between the two disciplines. Who knew.
Today, I want to go over a term I just learned called “Nose Room”. It may sound intrusive, but it’s actually a pretty cool pretty cool way to frame a shot.
If you’re interested in learning what nose room is all about in both video and still photography, join me as we go over the definition, look at some nose room examples, and unpack just why cinematographers and photographers use this setup.
Spoilers, it doesn’t have anything to do with smelling or sneezing. Let’s dive in.
Nose Room Definition
Nose room, also known as “lead room”, refers to the space you leave in front of a subject’s face, especially when they are looking to the side of the frame when you’re taking a photo or shooting a movie.
Why Nose Room Matters
When you’re framing a photo or doing cinematography, you want to find some balance. Nose room helps create this by adding negative space away from your focus.
They account for the idea of implied movement. If your subject points away from the direction they’re going, like a retreat, or if they point toward, like they’re advancing.
Nose room additionally helps establish eyelines between characters.
How do you shoot good nose room?
If you want to shoot a subject, imagine there is a line that extends from the tip of the subject’s nose.
Now, you generally want more space in front of that line than behind it. But you can always switch it up. And the exact amount of nose room can vary depending on the specific shot and your artistic intent.
If you’re starting out, try using the 2/3 to 1/3 rule. That means the subject takes up 1/3 of the frame and the empty space takes up 2/3.
Nose Room Shot Examples
In order to really understand the idea of nose room, you have to look at a few examples of it in action. When I try to contemplate what this looks like in movies and TV, I start with a single shot of a person, almost like a portrait.
If a person is looking to the right side of the frame, you’d leave more space on the right side of their face. If they’re looking to the left, you can do the opposite.
Of course, you don’t have to be shooting a portrait. The same idea works if you’re photographing an object, like a car, and leaving room on either side.
Or if maybe you;re shooting landscapes, and you want a tree on one side and a meadow on another.
This is not a rule you need to use in every shot ior setup, but one that should help if you’re stuck.
The next time you watch a movie or TV show, notice how the characters are framed. You’re going to see there’s nose room in almost every shot.
At the end of the day, nose room is one of those things you need to know if you’re working in film and TV or even in photography. It’s not a law, but fast and loose advice to help clue your audience into the experience they should have looking at your images.
Do any other photography tips or ways to use the nose room?
Let us know in the comments.
Author: Jason Hellerman
This article comes from No Film School and can be read on the original site.
