Frame Your Photo
Have you ever tried making use of a frame in your photography? Incorporating a frame into a picture can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. A foreground element is usually used to create the frame. Examples of this can be found in tree branches, a window frame, a fence, rows of trees, a door and many more.
The purpose of a frame is to separate your main subject and produce an appealing composition. A frame is many times a means of adding depth to an image. The appearance of the frame is up to you. You can opt to keep the detail of the frame, as in a wall, branch, or fence, or let the frame go dark, as in a window frame.
When you are composing a shot, keep your eyes open to foreground (and sometimes, even middle or background) objects that can be used as a natural frame. You may need to physically back up a bit, kneel down for a more pleasant composition, or zoom in to include your subject within your chosen frame.
You can also use image editing software to create a frame without the camera. By combining two or more pictures into one image, you can create spectacular effects. The possibilities are up to you!
Be careful when adding a frame through digital editing though. While you can certainly combine features of different images together, be cautious about adding artificial frames on familiar scenes and landscapes.
As an extreme example, don’t frame the Washington Monument with the Great Wall of China. Unless your goal is to create dissonance within your viewers’ minds, a picture with an intense difference will only come across as strange.
Next time you find yourself behind the camera lens, take in the whole picture to see if there is an object that you can incorporate as a natural frame. As an experiment, take one picture with the frame and one without. I’m sure you’ll find yourself drawn more to the one with the frame included!
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