For Better Scenic Photographs, Frame Your Photo Naturally

You can also polish the look of your outdoor photographs with a simple composition technique called “framing.” Just as paintings and photographs are typically surrounded by wood or metal frames, a photographic image can be taken with natural borders or frames. For example, the image of an inlet at Summit Lake (a great fishing and hiking spot about 10 miles east of Richwood, WV) is encircled on the top and left side by an arch of autumn leaves that form a natural frame. Likewise shoots of green plants border the bottom of the image. These two borders envelope much of the image forming a natural frame. 

Babcock Grist Mill

I don’t know exactly why the eye is pleased by framing, but it generally is. I do know that natural frames seem to complete the image. Framing also draws attention to the subject of your image. The framing in the example photograph gently steers the eye across the image. Moving from left to right, the eye naturally drifts within the borders of the frames following the line of the lake inlet to the patch of wispy clouds. Just about anything can serve as an image frame. 

Summit Lake

Trees, limbs, shrubs, and rocks frame a lot of my photographs as shown in the image of the Grist Mill at Babcock. Windows, arches, and doorways can also work as frames. Two stone pillars form frames for my photo of the swinging bridge at Babcock. I believe that once you start looking for objects to frame your images, you’ll find them and use them to make your photographs more appealing.

Swinging Bridge at Babcock

Regardless of the type of camera you use, good composition will always improve your scenic photography. So remember these four composition tips: 1) Remember the Rule of Thirds, 2) Think in 3D, 3) Change the Point of View, and 4) Include Natural Frames. Landscape photographer Ansel Adams once said, “A good photograph is knowing where to stand.” Knowing the basics of photographic composition will help you choose a place to stand.