Why do that? It’s a natural instinct to avoid an object that seems to be “in the way” of the intended subject. While traveling, I see tourists lean over the top of a beautiful fence or hold their camera over the side of an ornate bridge just to get it out of the way of the shot. But why not include that interesting object as part of the composition? Sometimes it completes the story of the scene and establishes where the viewer is standing. What’s more, that snippet of fence, bridge rail, or rock very often adds interest or even drama to a photo. It can also provide a framing device to pull everything together.
“That snippet of fence, bridge rail, or rock often adds interest or even drama.”
Scott Nelson included foliage in the foreground to add interest to this wedding capture.
Most tourists hop off this Norwegian train to snap a photo of the bright-red locomotive before continuing on to the fjords. This photo of snow-covered bikes in front of the train creates a more interesting story.
Knowing that my grandmother walked along this estuary in Trondheim, Norway, gives more meaning to the walkway where I followed in her imaginary footsteps.
Another ho-hum boat harbor shot? Liven it up by adding color to the foreground.