“Fill The Frame” is one of the easiest rules of composition to describe but one of the hardest to execute.
When taking a photograph, this rule says to pay attention to the entire frame, especially the corners. Practically, it means seeing the whole scene being captured, not just the subject. A photographer’s eye sees entire scenes including objects of interest and the backgrounds behind them. The camera is not a pistol aimed at a target; it creates rectangles of content. If large areas are left empty or boring, viewers are less likely to find them interesting, memorable, or meaningful.
Like some other rules of composition, “Fill The Frame” can be used to crop images, getting rid of empty areas by bringing in the edges of the rectangle, getting rid of the fluff and leaving the substance.
Here are a few examples. I hope they are informative as well as interesting, memorable, and meaningful. Click on any item to see it larger in a slide show. Tap your ESC key or click on the “X” in the upper right to return here.
