IN THE FRAME I’ve seen the phrase ‘natural framing’ used when talking about composition, but can you explain what this concept actually means?

Whenever we take a photo, we are making a judgement on how we present the elements within the scene, and in one sense, framing it. But the term natural framing refers to a compositional technique where we use physical objects that are present within the scene to direct the viewer’s eye to the main subject. The most obvious examples are windows or doorways that we shoot through to show a subject behind, but there are more subtle ways you can frame your subject.

I have heard people say that natural frames shouldn’t be subtle, but I totally disagree with this. All a natural frame needs to do is help direct the eye of the person looking at the image to the main subject. Whether it does this boldly or subtly is entirely up to the discretion of the photographer.

I like to use natural framing when I’m using a telephoto lens, so I shoot through nearer objects and allow them to diffuse. My focus is then on the main subject and the out-offocus surrounding acts as a gentle frame. I’ve done this with my example image, which was taken with a 70-200mm lens at 200mm. The focus is squarely on the backlit swan at the front of the frame, and the tangle of vegetation from the overhanging willow tree on the left and the reeds on the right are used to help frame the lead swan. Of course, as you can see, these elements aren’t surrounding the swan in a perfect frame, but they are doing enough to direct the viewer’s gaze, and that’s all I want to do.

So when you’re out shooting, Steve, you should certainly look out for the more obvious natural frames, but don’t be afraid to shoot through vegetation as long as it isn’t totally obscuring your main subject, because the result of a subtle bit of natural framing can be very effective indeed.

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