Photography Composition – Page 9

Composition: framing Framing is another very easy photography composition technique to learn. It quite literally is what it says on the tin. Like many techniques, framing in photography composition is often combined with other composition techniques to create more interesting images. You don’t need an actual frame to frame a scene. Frames occur naturally and are also man-made. Here are some examples of objects you can use for framing your subject: Tree branches Buildings Doors and doorways Windows Arches People Out of focus foreground objects Framing in photography composition can be created with buildings, as in this photo. How to use framing in photography composition Frames very often serve to declutter an image. Your frame does not need to go all the way around your subject. Just two sides is fine, as long as it draws the viewer’s eye to the subject. This is helped further by the frame being out of focus. 1. Framing in photography to create depth Not only does a frame highlight your subject, it adds a layer to your photograph, another composition technique, which in turn creates depth. As photographs are two dimensional representations of a three dimensional world, anything that creates depth strengthens the composition. It also creates interest for the viewer by drawing them into the scene. Further reading: Use layers in composition for immediately awesome photos Framing photography example In the photograph below, we were in a hide very close to a favourite watering hole of a herd of elephants. It was absolutely silent, except for the sounds of the bush and the snuffling and rumbling of the elephants as they kicked up dust around the edge of a dry watering hole. I wanted to capture where we were and the awesomeness of being so close to these beautiful animals. So I stepped back, decided on my composition to include my fella looking through the gap in the hide, and waited for an elephant to step into frame. Quite literally. Combining photography composition techniques creates a strong image and tells a story. I've used: rule of thirds, differential focus and framing. 2. Framing in photography to tell a story Sometimes using framing in composition helps to tell the story behind the photograph. In this photograph of a sweet little puppy, the full story was that, during the wedding reception, they heard from neighbours that their new puppy had got out of the property and was seen running down the road. Fortunately, the wedding reception was being held very close to home, so a few wedding party members went out looking for the puppy. It took over an hour to find her. When they did find her, they brought her to the worried bride, who cried with relief that she’d been found. The frame in this image is created by the out of focus bride and guests in the foreground and background, with the subject in sharp focus. 3. Framing in photography to add context Frames can also add context to your image. Although, we can tell by the silhouette of the bride and groom that this is a wedding portrait, placing them in the open doorway of the church creates an unmistakable frame. It strengthens the context of the image, as well as adding to the composition. A newly married bride and groom silhouetted in the church doorway helps deliver the unmistakable context of a wedding. Creating frames from nothing If you’re out in the middle of nowhere, or on a beach without a frame in sight, you can still frame your subject. You don’t need a structure to be present for portrait photography, because arms make great frames too. In portraiture, the eyes are the main focus point of an image. In a close cropped image, having the subject frame her face with her arms creates a strong image by using two photography composition techniques: framing and leading lines. Here the parents' bodies form a frame around the newborn baby. The direction of their gaze forms leading lines. The thing about photography that makes people think that it's hard, is that there are so many choices. Just think of the composition techniques alone. BUT I feel that's what makes photography more interesting. You don't need to remember everything in the beginning. In fact, how could you? On the plus side, much of it actually really easy. It's just that there's a lot to learn. So, the best approach is to learn one composition technique at a time and then, once you're really comfortable with it, move on to the next. When it comes to composition, it really is a habit. So once you know something...like really, really know it...you won't have to think about it anymore. Before you realise it, you'll naturally start combining three or more composition techniques as a matter of course. Another 18 composition techniques Leave a comment Have you tried to use framing in photography creatively? Tell us in the comments - it's always great to hear new ideas. If this article has helped you to understand framing in photography composition, please let us know in the comments - we love to hear good news! Has this tutorial helped you to understand how to use framing in photography composition? Share the learning...