How to use the Framing Technique to improve Travel Photos

Framing in photography is a powerful composition technique. In this blog post, you'll learn more about what framing is, how to use it to improve your travel photos and see different travel photos for which I used the framing technique.

Table of Contents

• What is framing in Photography?
• Examples of how to use framing in your photos
  • Use framing to convey depth
  • Add context by framing the main subject
  • Spark Feelings
  • Fill space by adding a frame
• Elements to use for framing
  • Using light and shadows as a frame
  • Use Buildings
• Final tips for using framing in photography
• Conclusion

What is framing in Photography?

Framing is a visual arts technique used to either emphasize the main subject of a photo or to add context to the main subject and draw the attention of the viewer to it. You can even convey different kinds of emotions and feelings by using frames wisely.

Almost anything is suitable as a frame. The most commonly encountered framing technique is photographing through windows, doors or gates. But there's more. You can also use natural objects like trees, branches or rocks as frames. One of the most overlooked ways to frame the main subject in your photo is to use light and shadow.

In this blog post, I'll provide 7 examples for framing in photography, with a focus on travel photography.

Examples of how to use framing in your photos

Use framing to convey depth

I took the photo below in an abandoned manor house in Estonia. The wall with the door acts as a frame for the rooms and behind the wall. By using the door as a frame, I can convey how huge this abandoned manor in Estonia really is, and the viewer is drawn into the scene.

If you use this framing technique to convey depth, try to place something at the center of the frame like either a bright light from the window, like I did in this photo. But it could also be the opposite: something dark. That could convey even more depth.

Add context by framing the main subject

I got this photo at the abandoned Heilstätten Grabowsee while waking by an abandoned building. I discovered this old grand piano in an event hall. By photographing it from the outside using the window as a frame, I can convey a discovery like “look what I found”.

So whenever you discover something, don’t just photograph it but use the surroundings of the place as a frame in your photo to give more context about where you discovered the subject.

Spark Feelings

If you place the frame in the middle of the scene like I did in this photo, you can convey feelings. In this photo, the person in the foreground looks through a window and watches the fountains of Bellagio, one of the must-see photo spots in Las Vegas.

This photo can convey all sorts of feelings, like sadness; because she can’t watch the show from downstairs.

Fill space by adding a frame

I got this photo during a trip to Tirana, the capital city of Albania. The shell of the building was an interesting photo spot. But the clear blue sky was a bit boring and just creates a sort of negative space. So I looked for something that I can use to fill that empty space: the branches of a tree act as a partial frame for the main subject.

By using the branches as a frame, I could cover at least a bit of the boring sky. If the sky had been cloudy, I would have used another technique: either, I would have captured a long exposure with blurred clouds. Alternatively, if you want to create a fine art black and white photo, I also wouldn’t use frames here.

I’d rather capture the clear blue sky and turn it to a black sky with a bright building shell in the front as a contrast. But that’s a different story.

If you take a close look at the above photo, you’ll also see another photo composition technique used: the rule of thirds. The top of the skyscraper is in the left third of the frame.

Elements to use for framing

As you’ve seen from the previous example, you can use almost anything in a scene as a frame for the subject. In this chapter, I’ll outline a few more things to use as a frame. Let’s start with the most overlooked element that’s ideal for framing.

Using light and shadows as a frame

I discovered this abandoned dentist’s chair at the abandoned Beelitz Heilstätten in a building that was used as a film location for A Cure for Wellness.

You can clearly see that I used the light that shines into the otherwise dark room from the window as a circular frame for the chair. Using Lightroom mobile, which I reviewed in my blog, I brightened the light a bit to emphasize the frame.

Additionally, the light rays demonstrate the leading lines photo composition technique. The bright light at the top of the window attracts the attention of the viewer. Then the light rays direct the viewer towards the char which itself is framed by the light.

Use Buildings

Using buildings to frame another building as an often overlooked technique, especially if you’re in a city like New York with so many great and famous buildings. For this photo, I waited for a green light at a ped-crossing and quickly framed and took the photo.

Final tips for using framing in photography

Framing is a simple composition technique if you mind a few things to avoid. First, remember that the subject of your photo is still the main subject and not the frame. So try to avoid any distractions, like objects, on the frame itself. The frame should be simple.

Secondly, the ideal position of the frame in a photo composition is at the foreground or the middle of the scene. If you place at in the background, it may cover too much of the scene and actually take the attention from the main subject.

I also recommend turning on grid lines as a compositional aid when composing a photo using the framing technique. ProCamera app, which is one of my most favorite camera apps I’ve been using for years, offers different types of grid lines that are of great help when composing photos. I’ve posted ProCamera App review in the blog that I regularly update.

Conclusion

The framing technique in photography is a powerful concept when composing a photo. By using frames, you'll draw the eye of the viewer towards the main subject, and you can add context and depth to a photo and also spark certain feelings. Just give it a try!