A Frame Within a Frame

“Were you in a cave?” That’s the question people ask when I share this image.

I took this photo through a computer monitor-sized opening in the rocks. An ultra-wide lens captured the edges of the narrow opening as I pushed the camera deep inside the small opening.

By framing the subject inside the opening, the scene appeared as though it had been photographed from deep inside a cave. I wanted the viewer’s eye to move from the dark stone perimeter and travel to the brilliant desert vista in the background.

Every time we take a picture, we create a frame. By incorporating compositional elements such as tree branches, a window, shadows, or out-of-focus areas to create another frame around the subject, you help direct the viewer’s attention to the all-important subject. And it prevents other elements from competing for attention.

The Shot

On the evening of January 17, our photography group was outside the village of Al-Disah in Saudi Arabia. A sharp-eyed member of the group spotted an opening in the rocks about eighty feet above the ground as a potential “cave shot” location.

After an exhilarating scramble to get there, we decided that it commanded a gorgeous view of the distant desert mountains. The light, however, was wrong for a late afternoon or sunset shot.

 
The path to the location is between the two photographers. In between them, you can see me in the distance on the ground wearing my white hat.

We decided to head back on the morning of the 18th to photograph in the pre-dawn and sunrise light. That was one of the best decisions of the trip.

Before the sun crested the eastern mountain ridge, soft golden light suffused the scene before us. The spot only accommodated one person at a time. So, we patiently waited our turn to get into position and take the shot before the sun rose over the mountain.

 
This is the shot location “inside the cave.” The gentleman who is almost in need of crack spackle is lining up for the shot.

After that, we clung to the rocks and just enjoyed the desert and mountains below as they basked in the morning sunlight.

Thanks for looking,

Chuck Derus Zenfolio | Chuck Derus