Photograph Framing
One of the keys to good photographic composition is framing, whether it be for portraits or landscapes. For portraits it can be more easily ‘manufactured’, but for landscapes, you need to place yourself in a position where you can frame the shot with what’s nearby.
Here is a photo I took at sunset from Binna Burra Mountain Lodge in the Gold Coast Hinterland. The ‘frame’ also blends into the foreground, but with the sun setting in the distance, it provides an interesting effect.
Trees are definitely the easiest ‘frames’ to find in nature, especially when they have character - like this weather beaten plant by the ocean. It looks like it’s seen some rough seas and heavy winds.
Imagine what this photo would look like without a frame. Sure, it’s a pretty view of the ocean on a nice afternoon, but it would look flat - with nothing in particular to draw the eye to.
Here is one last example. I love palm trees - they are asymmetrically symmetrical, if that makes sense. There is an ‘ordered wildness’ to them that makes a perfect frame subject - especially when they’re by the beach.
So, whenever you’re taking a photo - be it of a landscape or a portrait, see what you can find to frame and complement the subject of the photo. You never know what else you might find to photograph then…