Lens-Artists,  Photographic techniques,  Themed galleries

Gallery: composing for depth

April 5, 2026 / 56 Comments

Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk

Edward Weston

It’s true that once we’ve learned to walk as a toddler we no longer think about how to do it (unless perhaps if recovering from an injury). In the same way, once we learn some composition techniques, we no longer need to ‘rehearse’ them in our minds before taking a photo; they become instinctive. Incidentally, I do prefer the word ‘techniques’ to ‘rules’, as it’s less prescriptive.

But whether you study and follow the ‘rules’ of composition, or prefer to take a more relaxed approach to photography, there’s no denying that certain compositions are especially pleasing to the eye and impactful.

This week Patti asks us to think about a particular form of framing our shots. We’re most of us used to the idea that an arch or doorway or overhanging branch will create the illusion of a frame around a scene. But Patti introduces the idea of framing with layers, thinking about the foreground, middle ground and background of our images. I like to think of this not so much as framing as in terms of stage sets. The set designer uses the flats on either side of the stage to create the illusion of depth, and we can do the same in composing our photos.

I’ve had a hunt through my archives to find some images that I think illustrate this concept. I hope you agree! My feature photo is a view of the rock stacks of Rialto Beach on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, with the Quillayute River in the middle ground, framed by bushes in the foreground.

I really should read the small print when preparing these challenge posts! I noted too late that Patti asks for up to three images, but by then I’d selected rather more than that, edited and uploaded them. So I can’t resist sharing them all!

The Mekong River near Sopchem, Laos

Foreground: beach and local woman

Middle ground: boat and river

Background: wooded mountain slopes

Done Deng Island, Mekong River, Laos

Foreground: beach, washing and jetty

Middle ground: river and far shore

Background: misty mountains

Bai Tu Long Bay, Vietnam

Foreground: fishermen and boat

Middle ground: the nearest rock stack

Background: distant hazy rock and sea

Glass Beach, Fort Bragg, California

Foreground: gull and red-tinted ice plant

Middle ground: series of similar rocks receding

Background: misty pine trees

A wet day on the rue de Rivoli, Paris

Foreground: red café tables and chairs

Middle ground: passer-by on the far pavement

Background: autumn trees and (just visible) the Louvre

Parisian wedding shoot

Foreground: the happy couple and stone balustrade

Middle ground: lawns and trees

Background: the Eiffel Tower

Florence from the Basilica di San Miniato al Monte

Foreground: yellow house framed by autumn trees

Middle ground: the historic centre of the city with the Duomo and Palazzo Vecchio

Background: the Tuscan hills which surround the city

Cemetery and old church, Taos Pueblo, New Mexico

Foreground: crosses in the cemetery

Middle ground: the old adobe church

Background: trees and distant mountains

56 Comments

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