Finding Frames

A good friend of mine recently told me about a piece of photography advice she’d been given — a challenge to focus on framing. Not the kind that hangs on the wall behind glass, but the kind that exists within a photograph: finding ways to use the world itself to frame your subject.

Inspired, I grabbed my Canon 500D and Sigma 10–20mm wide-angle lens, then headed out to my local park with one goal in mind — to find frames.

Exploring Hall Park

The park in question was Hall Park in Horsforth, Leeds — a large, beautiful green space full of hidden corners and lovely details.

Right in the centre of an open grassy area stands a charming bandstand, which I tried to frame using some of the park’s most impressive trees. I love how the twisting branches seem to draw your eye inward.

A Window to the Japanese Garden

When I first thought about frames in the park, this gorgeous window into the Japanese garden immediately came to mind. Being vertically challenged, I had to hold my camera at arm’s length to centre the round window in the shot — not perfect (I clearly need longer arms!), but I still love the perspective.

The Japanese garden itself is such a tranquil, calming place. I used the vivid red bridge to frame a view of the pond and the stones that form part of the landscape. The contrast of colour and texture made it one of my favourite compositions of the day.

Nature’s Frames

Further along, I spotted a set of trees that perfectly framed a small, delicate Japanese maple. Its red leaves stood out vividly against the surrounding greenery. (At least, I think it’s a Japanese maple — Google Lens agrees, but that’s still unconfirmed!)

I adore how the colours in this part of the park shift from deep greens to fiery reds and warm yellows.

An Unusual Frame

Then came a slightly sillier idea — shooting through the birdhouse that you can see in one of my earlier bridge photos. I love how the red bridge glows through the grime and cobwebs inside the birdhouse window. It’s a bit quirky, but that’s exactly why it makes me smile.

My Favourite Frame

Finally, this last photograph became my favourite of the day. The pruned trees formed a perfect natural frame around the stones and birdhouse beyond. Everything aligned just right — colour, symmetry, texture — and it felt like the perfect way to end the shoot.

Final Thoughts

The experience of hunting for frames around the park was so much fun. I’ve always been conscious of the composition of a shot, but I’d never gone out specifically looking for natural frames before. It made me think differently about how I see my surroundings — and how to guide the viewer’s eye.

I’ll definitely be carrying this lesson forward into my future photoshoots.

Clare x