How to use the Framing Technique to improve Travel Photos

Framing is a powerful photography technique that's used for photo composition. In this blog post, you'll learn more about what framing in photography is, how to use framing to improve your photos and see 7 framing examples in Photography.

What is framing in Photography?

Framing is a photo technique and concept, in which you use (usually) boring or less appealing elements of a scene to put more emphasis on the main subject.

Typical examples of framing in a photo, especially in travel photography, are to use e.g. branches of trees to frame the main subject, photograph through an open or closed portal, gate, door or window, through a fence or other natural frames.

You’ll find a few examples further down in the blog post.

Why is framing used in Photography?

Using the framing technique, you can draw the attention of a viewer to the main subject in your photo, add context or depth or even spark feelings like curiosity, a welcoming touch, fear or even uncertainty

Different types of framing in photography

Though we often think of a frame as a rectangular shape, a frame in photography neither has to be rectangular nor does it have to be in the center of the frame. It does not even have to be a full frame around the main subject.

There's also no rule about how much of the image a frame can or should cover. It really depends on what you want kind of massage or feeling you want to convey.

Use framing to convey depth

In the photo below, the wall with the small door acts as a frame for the doors and rooms behind the wall. With this photo, I wanted to convey how huge this abandoned manor in Estonia really is.

Framing using multiple and different Elements in a Scene

Here’s an example where I used multiple elements in the scene to create a frame. Can you spot the frame?

By the way, this is the old Wardour Castle in England, where some of the scenes for the movie Robin Hood were shot.

The frame in this photo is composed by the tree, the branch and the edges of the photo itself. Also a very legitimate framing technique.

Adding Context to a Photo by using the Framing Technique

I got this snapshot at a hotel in Vienna, Austria. For this photo, I wanted to add a bit of context about the place from which I shot this photo - a hotel room. Otherwise it would just have been another photo of St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

I took it at the SO/ Vienna Hotel that's conveniently located right near the city center. They also have a wonderful rooftop bar with a great view. Check the ratings and price of the SO/ Vienna Hotel at Booking.com

Framing in Photos using Doors and Windows

If you shoot through a door or a window, you can transport quite a number of different emotions. The kind of feeling that your photo conveys heavily depends on if you photograph an outside scene from inside the building, if you photograph "into" a building from the outside or, like in the sample photo above, photograph from one room into another.

The emotion of your photo will also depend on if the door or window is open, how much open it is and even if the door or window opens towards the viewer or into the scene.

Generally, if a door or window opens into the scene, away from the viewer, this usually has an inviting touch to "come in and find out".

In the photo above, shot at the abandoned Heilstätte Grabowsee, the window opens in to the scene which draws the eyes of the viewer into it.

In the next photo, that I took during the hard hat tour at Ellis Island, the door also opens into the scene. As the door is only half open this kind of framing also sparks curiosity like "where are those stairs leading?"

A photo, that took from the inside of a room at the Bellagio in Las Vegas leaves room for interpretation. Does the person in the foreground would like to go downstairs and see it? Or does the person enjoy seeing it from a distance to get a better view?

Everything in front of the frame is dark on purpose. So the viewer may wonder what the lady watching the fountain show is thinking. So, placing silhouettes of a person in front of the frame can add to the photo.

Framing the main Subject using natural Objects

If you're out in nature, you'll find lots of different opportunities to use frames; be it trees or rocks.

Such natural frames are a great way to add a nice touch to an otherwise dull photo. Further, it may also add depth and even context to it.

Framing Techniques for Cityscape Photos

Two framing techniques for my photos I like to use when photographing in a city is to combine either nature with concrete or to use other surrounding structures, like buildings, as frames like in this photo that is from my blog post about Photo Spots in Tirana, Albania.

This type of framing, where a big part of the photo itself is covered by the frame, has something revealing like "Oh, look what I saw".

It's also a good example that a frame in a photo does not always have to be a "full frame". The trees work quite well and covey the height of the building and to cover the crane and machinery in the lower right corner of the photo.

For this photo of the Empire State Building in New York I used the buildings to the left and right as a frame to convey the distance and height of the building.

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!