Photography Composition Tip: Look For a Frame Within a Frame

Composition  •  Photography Tips

There are many useful tips when it comes to composition. Some of the more common rules such as the rule of thirds and leading lines are easy choices, but there are also some lesser known composition tips you can utilize. Take a look at the video below to see how Bryan Peterson uses framing with a frame to create compelling landscape portraits:

The idea behind framing within a frame is to highlight the intended subject while adding depth to a photo. Peterson looks for natural frames, like tree branches or the boards of a fence to put in the foreground of his photos.

Peterson used this fence to frame the windmills in the distance.

To create the image you see below, Peterson uses a wide angle lens on a full frame camera. More specifically a Nikon 24-85mm on a Nikon D800. He then turns off auto-focus and manually pre-focuses it to one meter at f/22. A quick turn of the polarizing filter to make the blue sky pop, and he snaps the photo.

Framing adds depth and makes images look more compelling.

“One of the keys to composition is to evoke a real strong sense of depth and dimension, and there’s no shorter route to that—more often than not—than the idea of utilizing framing with a frame.”