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Photographers use frames to add interest to the composition and focus the viewer’s attention on the subject.
An obvious type of frame is when you use a window or doorway to frame the subject. Here’s a photo I often use to illustrate this idea. The window frames the hanging plant. In turn, the wall frames the window, so you have a frame within a frame type composition. This style of composition works because there’s plenty to look at and there’s no doubt what the subject is.
There’s more than one way to use frames in composition, so I thought it would be useful to show you some of them. All these techniques work best when you have a single clear focal point in your photo. They don’t work so well with subjects like landscapes which often have multiple points of interest to look at.
Using frames is a test of your observational skills. Sometimes the frame is obvious, like the one in the above photo.
Other times you need to think about the visual relationship between the subject and the background. Is there something in the background that you could use as a frame? The examples below will give you lots of ideas.
Framed by the background
In the portrait below the white square frames the model’s face. Somebody had painted the square onto the cliff face behind her. I don’t know why, but once I saw it I knew I could use it to make the portrait more interesting.
Once you come across something like this you know what to look for and can repeat it in other photos. In the next portrait (below) the model was standing next to a white van. I knew it would make a great background so I positioned myself in the right place to turn it into a frame.
This idea works with other types of photo. In the photo below the out of focus leaf in the background frames the blue flowers. You can try this idea with your close-up photos. How can you use the background to frame your photos of flowers?
Framed by an object
Sometimes, like the first photo with the hanging basket in the window, frames are physical. Let’s look at some examples of this type of frame.
I made the photo below with the help of my son Alex. He had picked up some yellow berries and was holding them in his hand. I asked him to hold them out and moved in close to make this photo.
His hand frames the berries. But did you notice the tonal contrast in the photo? The blue coat sleeve and dark background neatly frame the lighter tones of his hand. Because of this, the composition works great in black and white (see below). This is another photo with a frame within a frame, a technique that strengthens the composition even further.
In the next photo black plastic tray frames the beans. It helps that the tray was on some dark wood as it means the frame works in more than one way. The tray itself is a frame. But the dark background also frames the green beans. Again, it’s the two frames in one idea in action, making the composition stronger.
In the photo below the book is framed by the books behind it. I came across this display in the museum and simply made the photo. But again, once you’re aware of it, you can rearrange scenes like this to improve the composition. Don’t be afraid to get hands on (in situations where you are able to do so) and move things around to improve the composition.
Frames can also add interest to your street and travel photos. In the portrait below, made in the Spanish city of Cadiz, the trees frame the man sitting on the metal bench.
Sometimes somebody else does the work for you. In the photo below, made in Cozumel in Mexico, somebody had arranged the lights around the picture. All I had to do was see it and make the photo. The shape made by the black cables echoes the shape of the picture and neatly frames it.
Framed by color
Did you notice the colors in the previous photo? The blue wall is another frame – the picture in the middle is framed by blue as well as the cables. This is another idea you can use over and over once you’re aware of it.
For example, the red wall frames the sign in the photo below.
A different type of frame
Sometimes you come across a type of frame that doesn’t fit neatly into these categories. It might not even frame the main subject. That happened to me with the portrait below.
There are two types of frame in this photo. The first is the model framed by the white wall.
But the second is the gap in the wall that reveals the landscape beyond. This is another frame in the composition. Another example of this type of frame is a photo of the interior of a building with a window looking out at the view beyond.
Now you’ve got the idea you can go out and look for frames to use in your own compositions. And for more great ideas like this about photographic composition, check out the book of the month offer below.
100 Composition Assignments
These assignments come from my new ebook 100 Composition Assignments. It has 100 assignments just like the ones in this article, to light a fire and help you improve your compositions skills.
Click here to learn more or buy the ebook
