"It's funny how the beauty of art has so much more to do with the frame than the artwork itself.”

“Whatever’s a right frame for a picture? Get it all in. Let them see the beauty I am surrounded with.”

And hence, we lay eyes on a picture that is crammed with an overwhelming amount of scenic natural beauty and unsightly elements. And that is exactly why you have a frame. A frame for capturing glorious landscapes. Frames for capturing portraits, street life. Everything and anything, basically.

Frames, when used rightfully, create the right emphasis and strengthen your composition. A beautifully put frame, which eradicates background noise and clutter can make even the most tedious objects look interesting. Of course there are other factors that contribute, but framing is one of the most essential one.

The most basic principle about setting a frame is taking your time. As mentioned in previous posts, it’s important to look around and choose the right setting, to feel what you want your observer to feel. Random clicks only rarely give you a good picture. There’s thought behind images, just like everything else.

Declutter your surroundings. Do you really want that bathroom sink to flaunt itself in the background of your picture? Or the trashcan? Give you background some thought. Clutter distracts the eye and makes the picture slightly unsettling.

The rule of thirds. Let’s try and stop putting the setting sun in the center of every picture. Move. It could make an equally good composition if it’s slightly to the left or the right. But then again, some things ought to be centralized too, but not the setting or rising sun. Not always. 

Similarly, try playing with the horizon line. Sit, crouch, and lie down. You never know how perfect a picture could be unless and until you allow yourself the leisure to switch angles and be bold. How long can we survive as an artist if we are too conscious about the dust on our denims or our wet boots? 

Sometimes you have to go closer, fill the frame and be a little mysterious about your objects. Keep the viewer guessing! Portraits, especially, that fill the frame are better, it’s almost like a conversation then, between the observer and the subject. Also, if you are trying to capture the pretty flowers you ought to walk a bit closer. Don’t wait for a better lens, walk closer.

Let's see if by putting these few pointers to mind we can improve our photography whether we use a costly camera or a mere phone camera,can we engage the viewer?