I have this thing (okay, obsession) with framing my photos. That is, using elements – often architectural and natural – at the borders or corners of an image in order to surround or “frame” the central subject. Shooting through open doors, windows, and all manner of arches present obvious choices for this, but well-positioned trees, buildings, and fences can also lend an interesting perspective to an otherwise compositionally dull photograph. I have therefore amassed a collection of such images from my travels, and I’d like to share a selection of those here. In the following photos, I have attempted to use framing for a number of purposes, including to highlight the subject or anchor it through a sense of place, create high contrast or compositional balance, and generally just to add visual interest.
Apertures
Here, openings in wrought iron fences and medieval walls focus the gaze, like a telescope narrowing in on the subject of interest. From garden sights in New York City and Berlin to nautical vistas of Dubrovnik and Venice, the eye is funneled to a central point, while surrounding elements are obstructed from view.
Passage through the arcade
Cloisters, the colonnaded walkways common to architecture of the ecclesiastical, monastic, and collegiate varieties, make for lovely frames (if a little unvaried), with garden views punctuated by arches and columns at regular intervals in long arcades.
Open doors
Of course, doors and gates provide some of the easiest and most-widely available opportunities for framing. The view can be inside looking out, opening to a pleasant streetscape or landscape, or outside looking in, drawing the eye inward and perhaps suggesting an invitation or creating a sense of mystery or intrigue as to what lies beyond.
Arch-ally
The arch takes many shapes and forms – bridges, monuments, vaults, arcades, arbors, rock formations – and is thus another common ally in the frame game. Opportunities to play with light and shadow, contrast and depth also abound.
Window watching
And finally, we have the versatile – but oftentimes tricky – window. Opened, it presents a clear field of vision out to the world beyond. Closed, the view it offers is usually obscured and obstructed by muntins or glare, but even these can add further visual interest to the photo.
