Essential Composition: Frames
Using frames is an effective compositional technique in photography and art that provides a powerful way of emphasizing the primary subject or most essential visual element in the photo. Framing immediately directs attention to and leads the eye to the subject or anything else you feel is important in the image. This is the “frame within a frame” that you’ve probably heard so much about in composition books. The image border is a frame too. Frames are another way of helping manipulate and guide how your audience looks at your image.
Look for frames in architectural elements such as doorways or arches, natural elements such as tree branches and natural arches, or variations in light and dark to effectively frame your subject.
“Spring Garden” Magnolia Plantation, Charleston, South Carolina USA. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon 24-105mm @ 58mm, 1/20 second @ f/13, ISO 500.
In the image above, the arching tree branches not only provide a frame for the walkway and “V” shape created by the azaleas and receding tree trunks, but it also gives some needed balance to the image by counterpoising some visual weight the colorful flowering shrubs in bottom part of the photo (learn more about Achieving Photographic Balance in a previous blog post).
You can learn more about using frames, as well as many other compositional concepts in my e-book, Creative Composition: Image Design Masterclass.
Very nice!
Your South Carolina image is so embracing… a soft invitation.. welcoming the warmth of springtime! Just GORGEOUS there this year… I had a chance to fall into this same principle with the “Delicate Arch” image I just posted.. it was by accident on two counts! One I was sitting next to a student who actually gave us the idea for the shot and two… someone else just mentioned “nice framing” about my image that I didn’t even realized I had done! lol .. But it wasn’t until you posted this.. did I understand ..that it was a great example of your principles here you were sharing with us. Thank you so much for teaching us what we need to know but better yet what we SHOULD know! 🙂
Interesting and useful read. I like frames as a compositional technique in photography. Beautiful photo!
Nice Blog, Its Very Important for frame composition
Thank you for sharing this! Your blog is wonderful.
Thanks so much for sharing this tip! I will definitely take use this advice to improve my photography.