Creating dreamy images is more than just throwing effects on a finished photo. Learning specific compositional techniques can significantly increase how evocative your images become.
Coming to you from Max Kent, this practical video explains a few powerful methods for capturing dreamlike photos directly in-camera. Kent starts by challenging the conventional approach photographers often rely upon: precise subject focus. Instead, he demonstrates how having your subject intentionally out of focus, especially in the image foreground, can create unexpected textures and atmosphere. He shares practical aperture suggestions to keep your subjects identifiable, advising an aperture between f/3.5 and f/5.6 to achieve optimal softness without completely losing visual clarity. Kent's insights here show that experimenting with focus isn't simply a gimmick—it's a deliberate technique that can fundamentally change the viewer's emotional response.
Kent then explores framing your subject creatively by juxtaposing different elements within your composition. Beyond traditional framing that occurs only at the edges of your images, he introduces an approach inspired by the photographer Saul Leiter. Kent emphasizes using lenses with longer focal lengths, like 150mm, to add compression that helps elements feel closer and more intense. He highlights how this technique can create visual puzzles and intriguing compositions, particularly when incorporating objects like broken glass or natural scenery. But he acknowledges you can also achieve compelling effects with a shorter focal length—35mm or 50mm lenses—but you'll have to adapt your framing style accordingly.
Kent's mention of framing taps into something more profound about photography as an expressive language. Recognizing framing not just as an aesthetic tool but a narrative device means you can deliberately introduce ambiguity and curiosity into your images. This type of purposeful ambiguity leads comfortably into Kent's third recommended tip: leaving things unsaid visually to create questions for viewers. He argues against always presenting an immediately understandable photo. Instead, Kent encourages playing with incomplete visual storytelling, allowing viewers' imaginations to fill the gaps. He suggests framing elements partially entering the image—such as a hand or shadow—to hint at stories, mysteries, or emotions lying just outside the image border. Doing so elevates a standard image into something evocative and thought-provoking while naturally enhancing its dreamy qualities.
The video wraps up with an extra, straightforward piece of advice to leverage the unique colors and softness available during blue hour and golden hour. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Kent.
