No camera trick, just proper framing. In fact, you'll notice that plenty of my photos have leaves or branches sticking into the top, or the sides, or sometimes even into the bottom of the frame.
That often adds a nice touch.
Glad you like the new avatar. And amazed that you noticed!! Good eyes. Or... good "micro-lens"!!
Yeah, it's like a counter-weight, I get it, I do that when drawing :)
Cool. Simple little tricks are a part of making good (or great) works.