Tip of the Day: The Right Frame of Mind

The edges of a picture can help set off the point of interest and lead the viewer’s eyes to the important parts of the image. But in a really good photo, the edges are interesting in themselves. A few things to consider:

• Objects on all four edges can create a feeling of claustrophobia.

• Framing in an L, with elements on two adjacent sides, works nicely when there are less substantial elements at the opposite sides.

• What you frame with doesn’t have to be an object—it can even be the dark space next to an object.

• Objects at the edges don’t have to be in focus. But, if they’re out of focus, they need to be blurry enough not to look like an accident.

ADAPTED FROM TAKE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY TO THE NEXT LEVEL: FROM INSPIRATION TO IMAGE BY GEORGE BARR (ROCKY NOOK, $40; 2008)