ONCE again we are delighted to feature the latest winners in Thurrock Camera Club's competitions.

The three images feature in our picture bar and were produced by Tom Irving (Remains of the Jetty), David Whyman (Waiting to Strike) and Chris Dennis (A Snowy Climb).

Filling the Frame - Our latest tips

Continuing our series of tips for photographers

First by way of a simple explanation, in photography terms the reference to "the frame" refers to the edges of the photograph or your camera or mobile phone's viewfinder. So in this instance filling the frame means to make the subject(s) the most significant part of your photograph which will cover the majority to the space within your photograph..

One of the benefits of this approach is that in having your main subject occupying a large amount of space in a photograph, and ideally as much of the frame as possible, it can help to limit or remove unwanted background distractions from your image.

One way to maximise the size of your subject within an image is to use a telephoto lens or zoom feature on your camera or phone. This will allow you to restrict elements of the scene that you do not wish to show. If this isn't possible a simple alternative is to move yourself , camera or phone, closer to your main subject so that it fills more of the screen.

The approach of filling the frame is often utilised to capture specific detail in a photograph, but it can also be a good method to show emotion by locking onto somebody's facial expression or eyes in you photograph.

Obviously some scenes would not benefit from this technique and you will wish to capture additional elements within your image. So while filling the frame in a photograph may not work for every single shot, it is a good method to consider when you have one specific subject that you want to stand out within your photograph.

In the examples used to illustrate these tips (scroll through the picture bar), the photographers have filled all or the majority of the frame with their main subjects.

In the example 'Eye for Texture', the photographer has used a very close up image of the bird's eye to show off both the colour contrasts in the eye set against the bright yellow of the plumage as well as using this extreme close up to highlight the texture in the feathers and the skin around the head of the Gannet.

In the second example, 'Life Lines' again the photographer has opted for a close up image to capture and portray the texture of the skin and the various lines on the hand crisscrossing over the palm. In filling the frame with the hand he has removed any possible distractions from the subject of the image that he wishes to be the focal point of his picture for the viewer.

The final example, 'Reflecting Over Coffee' the photographer has used the majority of the frame to capture the portrait.

While the sunglasses obscure the eyes, the image does convey a sense of contemplation in the face of the subject. Also getting close to the individual with a wider aperture has allowed the photographer to blur the background and thereby eliminate any distractions that might have distracted from the main subject of the image.

February's winners and tips.