If ever you look through your viewfinder and discover that although your subject is interesting and appealing, the area around the subject is dull and lacks appeal, use a frame within a frame. It's a simple and effective device for bringing cohesion to your image and emphasizing your subject.
As long as you choose your viewpoint carefully you can add a frame to almost any subject. From windows to doors, foliage or a fence, an arch or a porthole all are great candidates for a frame. Obvious ones are windows and doors so look for the unusual to add a new dimension.
There are several types of framing methods, all of which can be extremely effective.
1. Foreground frames
This gives a feeling of depth because your eye is drawn through the frame into the image focusing on the main point of interest or focal point. Examples of these are buildings and archways. This is the most common way of framing an image and very effective.
2. Background frames
These are less common but still effective. The frame is behind your subject and gives it prominence. For example, the sentry standing in front of his sentry box or the dog lying outside its kennel are classic representations of this type of framing. The frame isolates the subject and lifts it off the background.
3. Shape frames
Simply explained this is just a regular shape that is larger than the subject and helps exclude non essential background elements. For example, a lady's face with a very large straw hat has her face isolated by the round shape of the hat.
4. Colour frames
Picture this. A red and white stop sign framed by the brilliant blue sky. The colour blue becomes the frame. It isolates and contains the stop sign allowing it to be lifted off the background and emphasized. Does your eye focus on the blue sky or the red sign? The sign of course. It's contained within the blue of the sky. A white Dalmatian against the colour red of a fire engine has the same effect.
5. Choosing a lens or focal length
Sometimes you are limited to a fixed viewpoint and therefore cannot change how big or small you want the frame to be. So what can you do? Change to a wide angle lens. It allows you to get a greater amount of the frame in the image and a greater depth of focus as well. This means that much more of your image will be in focus from just in front to all the way in the distance. Having more of the archway or large doorway in the image allows you to create a more contained image that is pleasing to the viewers eye.
I think that frames are a wonderful way to add depth and dimension to your photos. So whenever you have an interesting subject in uninteresting surroundings, look for something to frame the subject. The key to any photograph is to experiment until you find the final image that is pleasing to your eye. As the old adage goes, practise makes perfect.
Do you want to learn more about photography in a digital world? I've just completed a brand new e-course delivered by e-mail. Download it here for free: http://www.21steps2perfectphotos.com/. To learn how you can take your photography from ordinary to outstanding visit http://www.21steps2perfectphotos.com/21steps.htm.
Wayne Turner has been teaching photography for 25 years and has written three books on photography.
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