The best examples of framing in photography: architectural elements

Let’s start with what you can actually see and shoot, not abstract theory. Here are some real examples of framing in photography: architectural elements that you probably walk past all the time.

Think about a person standing at the end of a long hallway. The walls, ceiling, and floor form a tunnel of lines that naturally frame the subject. Or imagine a skyline seen through a circular opening in a concrete wall. That opening becomes a bold, graphic frame. These are the best examples of framing in photography: architectural elements turning ordinary scenes into strong, intentional compositions.

1. Doorways: the everyday frame you’re probably ignoring

Doorways are one of the most forgiving and versatile architectural frames.

Picture this: you’re in an old brick building. You stand in one room and photograph a person standing in the next, shooting through the doorway. The darker room you’re in becomes a shadowy border, and the lit room beyond becomes the stage. The subject is perfectly framed by the door.

This example of framing in photography works beautifully for:

• Street portraits: Shoot from a dim hallway into a brighter street or courtyard.
• Travel photography: Frame a temple, church interior, or courtyard through a grand entrance.
• Documentary work: Use workshop doors, garage doors, or shop entrances to frame people at work.

A simple tip: Step back so the entire doorway is in your shot, then move slightly left or right until the vertical lines of the frame feel balanced in your viewfinder. Let the subject sit in the center at first; once you’re comfortable, experiment with placing them off-center using the rule of thirds.

2. Windows: framing with light, reflection, and depth

Windows give you three layers to play with: the interior, the glass surface, and the exterior. That’s a goldmine for framing.

One of the strongest examples of framing in photography: architectural elements like café windows. You stand outside, shooting in. The window frame creates a border around a person working on a laptop, while reflections of the street layer over the scene. The result feels intimate and cinematic.

Other real examples include:

• Shooting a landscape through a cabin window, so the wooden frame surrounds mountains or forest.
• Photographing a person looking out of a train window, with the window edge framing their face and the world streaking by outside.
• Using modern grid-style office windows to frame multiple mini-scenes in one shot.

Modern city design trends—lots of glass, big picture windows, open lobbies—make this easier than ever. Many contemporary buildings (especially in tech hubs and university campuses) are designed with large transparent surfaces that can serve as clean, graphic frames.

3. Arches and arcades: classic framing with a timeless feel

If you want your photos to feel a little more grand or historic, arches are your best friend.

Imagine standing under a stone arch, photographing a couple walking in the sunlit plaza beyond. The curved top of the arch and the vertical sides give you a natural vignette. This is one of the oldest examples of framing in photography: architectural elements like arches have been used since early film days because they echo the shape of many viewfinders and prints.

Some of the best examples include:

• A series of arches (an arcade) creating repeating frames around people walking underneath.
• A lone person centered beneath a massive archway, emphasizing scale.
• A city landmark seen perfectly through a distant arch, like a monument framed by a historic gate.

When shooting arches, watch your verticals. Tilt the camera slightly up or down and the curve can feel warped. Try keeping your camera level and step back until the entire arch fits in the frame.

4. Bridges and overpasses: big urban frames with attitude

Modern cities give you incredible examples of framing in photography: architectural elements like bridges, underpasses, and flyovers.

Think about standing under a highway overpass at blue hour. The concrete beams above you form a dark ceiling. The support columns on either side act like pillars of a giant doorway. In the center, a cyclist rides through the pool of streetlight. That bright center framed by darker structure gives the image drama.

You’ll find real examples everywhere:

• Pedestrian bridges framing a river or road below.
• Train tracks and steel trusses forming graphic, repeating shapes around your subject.
• City skylines framed between two overpasses from a parking lot.

A 2024 trend you’ll see on social platforms is the use of ultra-wide lenses under bridges to exaggerate perspective. Photographers stand low and close to the structure so the lines stretch dramatically toward the subject, creating a bold, graphic frame. Used thoughtfully, this can make your urban framing photos stand out.

5. Staircases and railings: spiral, leading, and layered frames

Staircases are sneaky framing tools because they combine leading lines with actual physical frames.

A classic example of framing in photography: architectural elements like spiral staircases. You stand at the top, lean over safely, and photograph someone on a lower step. The circular opening of the staircase becomes a frame around the subject. The steps themselves form lines that swirl toward the person.

Other real examples include:

• Shooting through a gap in a railing so the bars form a foreground frame around a person below.
• Using the underside of a staircase to create a triangular frame around someone walking past.
• Framing a subject at the bottom of a staircase from the top landing, using the bannisters as side borders.

Modern architecture trends favor open staircases with clean lines, glass panels, and exposed structures. These designs give you more negative space and more control over how the frame interacts with your subject.

6. Corridors, tunnels, and subways: frames that pull the eye inward

Long, narrow spaces are natural frames. Corridors, tunnels, subway platforms, and covered walkways all create a sense of depth that focuses attention.

Picture a person standing at the far end of a subway platform. The roof above, the edge of the platform, and the wall behind them all converge toward the subject. This is one of the most effective examples of framing in photography: architectural elements forming a visual funnel.

You’ll see this used in:

• Street photography in transit hubs, where the architecture naturally guides the eye.
• Travel images taken in historic passageways or cloisters.
• Minimalist shots of a single silhouette at the end of a brightly lit tunnel.

When you’re in a tunnel or hallway, try standing dead center. Symmetry can be very powerful here. Let the lines on the floor or ceiling lead straight toward your subject, framed by the sides of the corridor.

7. City skylines framed by buildings and rooftops

Sometimes the frame is as important as the view. A skyline by itself can feel flat, but frame it and it suddenly has context.

One of the best examples of framing in photography: architectural elements like rooftop edges, balcony railings, or gaps between two towers used to frame a distant cityscape. Think of standing in a parking garage, shooting out toward downtown. The ceiling above and the concrete barrier at the bottom form a letterbox frame around the skyscrapers.

Real examples include:

• A city skyline framed by two tall buildings that form a narrow vertical slice of sky.
• A sunset horizon framed under a low overhang, emphasizing the band of color.
• A landmark framed perfectly between two lamp posts or pillars.

This kind of framing is especially popular in 2024 with mobile photographers. Many smartphone camera apps now highlight verticals and horizontals with on-screen guides, making it easier to keep architectural frames straight and intentional.

How to spot architectural frames before you even raise the camera

Once you start looking for examples of framing in photography: architectural elements, you’ll see them everywhere. The trick is to train your eyes to notice shapes and gaps, not just objects.

Here’s a simple way to think about it: look for holes, boxes, and tunnels.

• Holes: Circular or irregular openings in walls, fences, or structures. Great for isolating a small subject.
• Boxes: Doorways, windows, and rectangular gaps between buildings. These are your classic frames.
• Tunnels: Corridors, bridges, alleys, and covered walkways. These pull the viewer’s eye inward.

Walk through a city block and pause every time you see a strong shape that could act like a border. Then imagine a person, a bike, a car, or a skyline filling the space inside that shape. That mental habit alone will dramatically increase how often you find solid architectural frames.

If you want to go deeper into visual perception and why framing works so well, organizations like the American Psychological Association publish research on how our brains process visual scenes and focus on bounded areas. You don’t need to read academic papers to shoot better, but it’s reassuring to know there’s solid science behind why framing feels so satisfying.

Technical tips for using architectural elements as frames

You don’t need fancy gear to pull this off, but a few technical choices will make your examples of framing in photography: architectural elements look more intentional.

Lens choice and distance

Wide-angle lenses let you include more of the frame (doorways, arches, tunnels), which is handy in tight spaces like alleys or interiors. Just be careful with distortion—vertical lines can start to lean.

Telephoto lenses compress distance. You can stand far away, use a distant arch or window as a frame, and make your subject appear closer to it. This is especially useful when you can’t physically move closer, like when photographing a person framed by a high balcony or distant overpass.

Depth of field: sharp frame or blurred frame?

You have two main approaches:

• Keep both the frame and subject sharp. This works well with strong architectural shapes like arches, bridges, and staircases where the structure itself is part of the story.
• Blur the frame slightly while keeping the subject sharp. This is perfect when the frame is closer to you, like shooting through a railing or doorway from a dark room into a bright one.

A wider aperture (lower f-number) will blur the frame more. A narrower aperture (higher f-number) keeps more of the scene in focus.

Exposure and contrast

Many architectural frames involve shooting from a darker area toward a brighter one (doorways, tunnels, underpasses). That can confuse your camera’s meter.

Try exposing for the subject in the bright area and let the frame go darker. This creates a natural vignette that emphasizes your subject even more. If you want to learn more about how the eye reacts to bright and dark areas in a scene, resources from universities like MIT OpenCourseWare include material on visual perception and contrast in their design and media courses.

Storytelling with architectural framing

Framing isn’t just a visual trick; it’s a storytelling tool.

Here’s how different examples of framing in photography: architectural elements can shift the mood of your image:

• A person framed in a small window high on a building can feel isolated or watched.
• A couple framed under a grand arch can feel celebrated and heroic.
• A lone commuter framed at the end of a long subway tunnel can feel contemplative or overwhelmed by the city.

Think about what you’re saying with the frame. Are you protecting the subject, trapping them, celebrating them, or separating them from the chaos around them?

In 2024 and 2025, you’ll see more photographers using architectural framing in series and projects, not just one-off shots—especially in documentary and street work. A consistent framing motif (like always shooting people through doorways or under bridges) can tie a whole body of work together.

Common mistakes when using architectural elements as frames

Even the best examples of framing in photography: architectural elements can fall flat if a few details are off.

Watch out for:

• Crooked lines: Slightly tilted doorways or windows can feel sloppy. Use grid lines or level tools in your camera or phone.
• Cluttered frames: If the frame itself is messy—wires, signs, random objects—it can distract instead of guide. Either embrace the chaos as part of the story or move your position.
• Over-framing: If the architectural frame takes up too much of the image, your subject can feel tiny and unimportant (unless that’s the point).
• Flat light: Some frames work best with contrast. A doorway from dark to light is more powerful than one with even lighting on both sides.

When in doubt, ask yourself: “If I removed the frame, would this still be interesting?” If the answer is no, work on your subject and moment first, then use the frame to enhance, not rescue, the shot.

FAQ: examples of framing in photography using architectural elements

Q: What are some simple examples of framing in photography I can try today?
Look for doorways, windows, and staircases. Stand back so you see the full shape, then wait for a person to walk into the framed area. Even a friend standing in a doorway at home is a solid example of framing in photography: architectural elements in a very ordinary setting.

Q: Can you give an example of framing in photography that works well with a phone camera?
Absolutely. Stand just inside a building and shoot out toward the street, using the entrance as a frame. Keep the edges of the doorway parallel with the edges of your screen. Phone cameras handle contrast well now, so you can expose for the bright outdoors and let the interior become a darker border.

Q: Do I always need a person inside the frame?
No. Some of the best examples of framing in photography: architectural elements involve landscapes or skylines. A mountain range seen through a window, or a sunset framed by a bridge, can be just as powerful. The key is that the frame guides attention to something specific.

Q: How can I practice seeing architectural frames more consistently?
Pick one type of frame for a day—say, windows. Go out and photograph only scenes framed by windows. The next day, focus on doorways, then arches, then staircases. This kind of focused practice trains your eye. For more structured learning on visual composition, many photography and design programs at universities like Harvard Extension School offer free or low-cost online materials that touch on framing and spatial organization.

Q: Are there cultural or legal issues when using architectural elements in photos?
In most public spaces in the U.S., photographing buildings and architectural elements is allowed, but rules can vary in private or sensitive locations. When people are involved, privacy laws and expectations matter. For general guidance on privacy and public spaces, U.S. government resources like USA.gov can point you toward up-to-date legal information.

Once you start noticing these examples of framing in photography: architectural elements, it’s hard to stop. The good news is, you don’t need a new camera or a plane ticket—just a bit of patience, a willingness to move your feet, and an eye for shapes. Walk out your front door, look for the nearest doorway, arch, or window, and start there.