When we talk about frames, we usually think of a photo in a frame. Framing is similar to this concept in photography, except that it is less obvious and naturally becomes a part of the picture. Using frames helps make pictures more interesting. It also helps directs the focus of the viewers on objects in the picture that want to be seen. One of the best ways of framing is the use of nature to construct a frame around or at the side of a main object within a photograph. Examples are the use of trees, branches, and flowers.
Take a look at the following picture. You see a scenery and some branches at the top right hand corner. Imagine what the picture would be like without the branches. Does the photo looks natural? Will it look nice with too much white or sky space?
Look at the photograph of the church below. Without the branches at the top, it will look plain, and with too much white space, our eyes linger and become distracted, unsure what to look for, although it is obviously the church. Without the branches the picture will be less interesting and will be less focused on the object.
Framing is not all about just putting branches into pictures though. It can also be about beautifying your pictures with unrelated objects to blend in as part of the environment.
Take a look at the picture of the lake below. It looks nice with the flowers in the foreground. In truth however, it is trick photography. There never were flowers in the bushes. The flowers were actually potted flowers, arranged in a row in front of the place where the photograph was taken, at a concrete pavement. What the cameraman did was to lower his position to the eye level of the flowers, making sure the pots are hidden from the camera view, before the picture is captured with the grass field overlooking a lake and mountains as the background.
Let's take another look at framing using the picture below. Does it not look nice because of the branches on the left? In your mind, imagine how it will look without the branches. Will the picture of the canyon and mountain looks good on its own? The answer is a definite "NO".
There are of course other forms of framing in photography. You can use frames such as doorways, windows, or others when taking pictures of a person or a place. Take the example of a photograph of a person. Instead of taking a person against a wall, you can take the person within an opening of the wall, such as the doorway. In this case, the wall is the white space, while the doorway becomes the frame where the person stands within. Such a picture immediately focuses the viewer on the person, and the frame of the door directs the viewer's attention to the object within. Another example will be to take a picture of a person outside the window. This approach automatically frames the person within the window opening, example, within a square box frame.
So when it comes to taking scenic photographs or people, always consider the inclusion of frames in enhancing focus and making the picture more interesting. Whether it be trees, branches, flowers, doors, or windows, framing always help to make the environment within the photograph looks better.
Happy photographing! (",)
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