This is a photograph of a neat and well-kept vegetable garden found at the base of the wall of a castle. It looks like it has been well-loved for some years, a visual unusual gem in a surprising location.

I liked the look of the parallel lines of the gravel path, the walls and the plots and garden odds and ends within the garden.

The stacked wooden posts in the hedge catch the eye, and the eye just explores the rest of the garden.

Yes, it does look like a cover of a Beatrix Potter book, but it does make you look! Why? Well for a start, it has a very retro feel, and it makes the viewer think. When you look at the image, you will start to realise you are actually looking down into the garden; the elements that make the image interesting creep up on you. Now, I am not saying you should look for an elevated viewpoint, just suggesting you always try to find the best viewpoint, the one that you like.

The added element in this image is the frame. Frames come in all shapes, and can consist of any elements of the image. Framing the picture is a matter of observation and luckl this picture was taken through a hole in the castle wall. The wall provided the top and left hand of the frame and a tree on the right, the shadow of the wall the bottom. The satisfying part is that the frame is organic: no straight edges. It suits the subject: straight edges would have been unsympathetic.

The point is, with thought, you can add interest to your photographs. Try and define the image and focus the viewer's attention. The thing to remember: Don't Overdo It! If you look, you will just know if framing will enhance your shot or not.

You can use anything to frame a shot – a door, trees, building. Just experiment: it's fun!

bobstafford

09.04.18 Front Page

Back Issue Page