You asked two entirely subordinate questions to the real question: Why?
Ken's question so relevant!
In many cases, well crafted borders are needed to help out the balance of a picture. These, however, are travel images and the subjects DEMAND attention. What you show is hardly ordinary. You could split the second picture in two I'd look at both halves!
Distribution of importance is part of the art of photography. You already have made such a big step in deciding what not to snap at and what to include that so, Lucas, you're really far ahead of the game. The subjects speak for themselves.
There are however a number of ways I'd consider presentation of the image and some can be solved in the camera. However each of these is a stratagem to an effect and not a rule. For example, you could use a wider aperture such as f2.0 and throw out of focus everything but the subject. Well that might be great for a portrait but who says it will put into a picture
what's in your mind. You might want to show the writing on the wall or potholes in the road or lack of trees.
So it starts not with how to make the picture more important but with how you see things, your point of view and what you want to get out of the scene.
I wont get into what you ask, framing just yet, since if I had a choice, I'd want more not less of the background and I like the pictures as they are, informal and honest with a feeling of your thrill at taking them.
Asher
