Frame your subject with interesting foregrounds

Shoot through, over, under and around things.

 

Show Depth

One of my favourite techniques to build interest and create images that ‘look’ professional, is to include foreground items in my images.

Usually, when someone is new to photography, they tend to try to avoid having anything ‘get in the way’ of the subject that they are trying to shoot.  This is partly due to inexperience and partly due to the fact that the camera technology of the dynamic auto focus systems prevents photographers from including foreground elements. In Lesson 10 of the Intro Course, we set the focus point to the center of the viewfinder and we introduced the concept of recomposition. This lesson on Framing, is why we learned recomposition.

 

 

Blur the foreground

Here are some examples of images taken while using the technique of framing.  In each of these shots, the photographer focuses on the subject using the center focus point to measure a focus distance, and then recomposes including a foreground element.

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”37″ gal_title=”Framing Lesson 2 Composition Course Gallery”]

 

EXERCISE: Try shooting through stair rails, the back of a chair, the leaves of a plant, a window, a fence or anything else that has a narrow opening.

Note: Get fairly close to the foreground item. You will notice a difference in the look of the image as you move closer or further from the foreground. 

EXERCISE: Try shooting into mirrors. Mirrors are a great way to frame your subject from the background.