Very simple photography tip: Fill the frame with a certain color, certain visual element, or your subject to make a more engaging/interesting photo!

1. Get close to your subject, and simplify the background

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This is a compositional technique I got from Jesse Marlow, filling the frame with strong bold diagonals/lines:

Photo by Jesse Marlowe / from ‘Don’t Just Tell Them, Show Them’

2. Get close, crouch down, and photograph your subject against the sky

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It is difficult to simplify and fill the frame in street photography. The best way is to just get close to your subject, and crouch down and photograph them against the sky!

3. One color

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As an exercise, fill the frame with just one color.

Or keep it simple with just two colors:

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To know whether your photos work or not, look at your photos as small thumbnails:

4. Simple background

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Find a simple background, and photograph your subject against it.

You can ask your subject to move to the background, or just position yourself to photograph them against the simple background.

5. Reflections

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Fill the frame by putting your camera closer to the ground, especially when there is a reflective surface.

6. Fill the frame with diagonals

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Tilt your camera, and get very close, and fill the frame with just diagonal lines.

7. Fill the frame with different colors

When you’re shooting, look at the edges of the frame, and try to fill the entire frame with bold color!

8. Fill the frame with interesting repeating diagonals or lines

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This photograph I was photographing this guy, and I got very close, and shot with a 24mm lens, focusing on the elements in the background, and filling the frame with the lines.

9. Include as much as whatever you find interesting

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When I was in London, I loved this orange building. I tried to frame it to include as much of the orange in the frame as possible (shot on 35mm lens, with Kodak Portra 400 film).

10. Get close, and use a flash

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I don’t recommend using a zoom or telephoto lens. Rather, get very close with a 24mm, 28mm, or 35mm (wide-angle) lens to make a more engaging image. The benefit of getting close and filling the frame with a wide-angle lens is that the photos will feel more intimate and personal.

If you’re shooting a street portrait, also try shooting with a flash!