Can framing be used in still life photography?
Asked 5/6/2015
4 views
2 answers
0
Is framing only a composition technique for landscapes, or can it also be used in still life photography? What kinds of elements can act as a frame in a still life image?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
4
Sure. Framing is a technique in composition where objects in the photo direct the viewers attention by covering (usually) one or more edges, creating a sort of frame-within-the-frame. In landscape photography, this is usually foreground trees or rocks — but it doesn't have to be. It could be a building, or even people. In Raphael's Sistine Madonna, the figures to the left and right and the cherubs below (more famous than the whole!) frame the subject — mother and child

This, of course, is no still life, but it illustrates the principle: framing isn't restricted to landscapes.
In a still life, framing might include cloth drapery, the edge of a table, a doorway... any element that isn't part of the main subject but serves as, well, a framing device for it.
This example (The Juice of Life, CC-BY-SA Esther Spektor) demonstrates this — here, the curtain and the edge of the window provide framing for the arrangement on the table.

Of course, here it's somewhat subtle and the framing objects are not in the foreground; a more overt use of framing might be looking through an open window, where the window's literal frame would serve as framing in this sense, too.
("Framing" also has a different sense, the relationship of the entire photograph's rectangular frame to all visible elements — in that sense, of course, all photographs exhibit framing.)
Originally by user1943. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1943
11y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes. Framing is a general composition technique, not something limited to landscape photography.
In any genre, framing means using elements within the scene to surround or partially border the main subject and guide the viewer’s eye toward it. In landscapes this is often done with trees, rocks, or other foreground elements, but the same idea works in still life.
In a still life, the frame can be created by things such as drapery, the edge of a table, a doorway, or other objects placed around the subject. The key is that these elements help emphasize the subject rather than compete with it.
So a still life image can absolutely include framing; it’s simply one of many compositional tools you can use.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI11y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
What counts as still life photography, and are there any rules?
What was 70mm still photography, and how was it used in cameras?
How do full frame, APS-C, and Micro Four Thirds images differ in real use?
Why and when would you use a telephoto lens for landscape photography?
Can a macro lens be useful for portraits, landscapes, and other non-macro photography?