Nando Harmsen

You don't need to have everything in the frame

Thursday 17 September 2026, 16:32 by | 42 views | 0 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

Sometimes I fall into the trap too. I try to get everything in the frame. The idea that something might not appear in the photo then works against me. Yet you don't always need to have everything in the frame.

I see this particularly in landscape photography. It can never be wide enough. As much as possible in the frame, from left to right, from front to back. Later, the photo turns out to be disappointing.

A landscape with a lot in the frame - f/13, 1/200s, 320 ISO @ 100mm

A landscape with a lot in the frame - f/13, 1/200s, 320 ISO @ 100mm


The reason is simple in this case. There is too much in the frame. The photo becomes so busy that there is no focal point left. The solution is just as simple. Zoom in on what you want to show.

Call it the art of leaving things out. Give it another name if you like. It always comes down to bringing a subject into the frame in such a way that it becomes interesting. So that the surroundings add value.

Zooming in reveals details - f/7.1, 1/800s, 200 ISO @ 500mm

Zooming in reveals details - f/7.1, 1/800s, 200 ISO @ 500mm


Everything in the frame also means that everything appears small in the photo. It seems as though you see more, but details become unrecognisable. In fact, you see less.

This isn't just for landscape photography. It also applies to other disciplines in photography. From portrait photography to still lifes, from macro to architecture. Give it a try.

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Nando Harmsen

About the author

Nando Harmsen has been photographing for more than 40 years. He specialises in wedding photography and landscape photography. Nando also gives talks, workshops, masterclasses and photo trips, and regularly reviews new and interesting equipment.

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