Improve your camera skills with 5 styles of framing in photography. These cover from natural to architectural and will instantly make you a better professional at your work.
Framing and Photography
As a photographer, you might already know that composition and the rule of thirds are extremely important in this niche, but with them, framing pictures is also a core skill you have to acquire to become a professional. Framing in photography means techniques that draw the audience's attention to the subject by blocking certain areas of the image.
Such techniques are used to achieve a variety of photographic effects; they can describe the context for the photo and convey a message about the person or a place where it was made. Frame is also used to create an illusion of depth or various layers in the photographs, making them richer and more meaningful.
To be honest, framing in photography is in fact one of the most difficult elements to master. You need to first learn how to add a foreground object to your scene that helps highlight your subject. Next, the development of intuition that when to step back from your original composition and look nearby for elements to use as a frame.
And finally, you have to learn how to effectively use a shallow depth of field to put the foreground and framing element out of focus. Okay, now that you have hold of all this, it's time for you to try these five best framing techniques this year.
Trending Frame Techniques 2025
1. Geometric and Abstract Framing
We are surrounded by shapes, patterns, light, and shadows, and this is what this framing technique uses to create abstract frames. You can use shapes like circles, triangles, or spirals to frame your subjects.
This technique of framing in photography is actually quite an old one, and is still one of the most popular when it comes to framing portrait photos, especially in street photography, capturing architectural structures, and even landscapes. Such frames add artistic flair to these photography niches and can evoke mood or symbolism.
2. Framing in Portraits
Portrait photography is one of the most common and trending niches. From family gatherings to weddings, bachelor parties to graduation ceremonies, all are incomplete without professionally made portraits. Nowadays, photographers use framing to bring a sense of intimacy and focus to the subject in portraits.
One common way to do that is to add a literal window frame in the portrait, which can make the subject secure and enclosed while also providing a natural boundary. Such a frame brings in more viewers’ attention to the subject’s face.
3. Light and Shadow Framing
Photographers silhouette or highlight their subject by using areas of darkness or bright light. This is done to isolate the subject by either creating a vignette effect via shadows or with selective lighting on the subject.
This framework works best for those who are looking to create a shot infused with a story without any clutter. The final result also accentuates the mood and effortlessly pulls the viewer’s attention towards the subject.
4. Implied or Subjective Framing
This one is more about conceptual and psychological framing, which doesn’t use a typical physical barrier but incorporates compositional elements to build a frame for the viewer. You will have to be quite pro at basic techniques of the rule of thirds and leading lines to successfully get this framing.
These elements can be the gaze of a person, a negative space, or leading lines, all used to create a virtual boundary around the subject. Nowadays, you will see this kind of framing in documentary and photojournalism, falling under minimalist photography, and it creates a vibe of isolation, anticipation, and direction.
5. Natural Framing
As the name implies, this framing technique uses elements from the natural environment (which can include human-made things in the surroundings) to isolate a subject and pull in the audience’s attention. These elements can be trees, walls, flowers, rocks, or water, to create a frame around your subject.
This framing technique not only enhances the inherent beauty of the scene but also seamlessly integrates the subject with its surroundings. When creating such framing, be mindful of the shapes and lines in the frame as they will dictate structure and visual interest in your photographs.
Best Lens for Professional Framing
If you aim to refine the above-mentioned framing techniques and set up your game for creating compelling images, then consider the lens trio of SIRUI Saturn 35/50/75mm Full-frame Carbon Fiber Anamorphic Lenses. Designed with a 1.6x anamorphic squeeze due to their anamorphic nature, these lenses are designed to give flexibility to photographers who can manage such framing techniques across diverse shooting scenarios.
Built with widely used focal lengths of 35mm, 50mm, and 75mm, this lens series features high-end optics that deliver professional-grade sharpness and frame coverage from edge to edge. You also get a premium build quality with a portable profile. An easy recommendation for those looking to improve their framing and image compositions.
Wrapping Up:
The above most common techniques of framing in photography require you to learn the basics of using natural elements, light, geometrical shapes, and negative space to pull in more focus on the subject. For the best results in framing and image sharpness, we recommend considering the trio of SIRUI Saturn 35/50/75mm full-frame carbon fiber anamorphic lenses.
