RULE OF THIRDS:

This rule is particularly easy if you have a grid view in your camera viewfinder.

You’ll see that your view is divided into nine sections by two vertical lines and two horizontal lines, like the grid in the above photo.

Let’s look at the vertical lines first. Do you see the four points where the lines intersect? These are the thirds of the image. If you place your subject at either of these vertical lines, you’ll have a far more pleasing image the placing your subject in the center of the frame.

Now let’s look at the horizontal lines. Placing a horizon in an image at either the top horizontal line or the bottom horizontal line creates a much more interesting image than if the horizon is in the center of the image.

When photographing a person, place the eye closest to camera on one of the intersecting points on the rule of thirds grid.

FRAMING & COMPOSITION:

Framing in photography composition is a composition technique that uses something as a frame around your subject in the scene. Framing a subject within an image guides the viewer’s eye to your subject.

Framing techniques in photography frame the main subject to draw the viewer’s attention and add a sense of depth to portraits. Frames occur naturally and are also man-made. However, you also don’t need an actual frame to frame a scene, but more on this in a moment. Here are some examples of objects you can use for framing the main subject:

Examples of man made frames:

• Arches & Archways

• Window Frame

• Doors & Doorways

• Bridges

• Buildings

Natural frames include:

• Tree branches

• Caves

• Mountains

REPETITION: 

Repetition in photography composition leads the viewer’s eye to your subject in much the same way as leading lines work. So you’ll find that you’ll often combine these two composition techniques when creating an image.

If an element is repeated once or twice, it makes the photo interesting. If it’s repeated several times it becomes a pattern (another photography technique mentioned further down).

Color, shape, parts of objects or even whole objects can be repeated for strong composition.

LEADING LINES: 

Leading lines in composition are the lines in a scene that lead the viewer’s eye to the subject, the main focus of the image. Leading lines can also be used to direct a viewer’s eye out of the image. In fact, leading lines will direct the eye to wherever you want it to go, because our eyes follow lines. Leading Lines are easy to pick up and, once learned, you’ll never “unsee” leading lines. They’re the equivalent of placing a “you are here” arrow on a map. Leading lines don’t have to be straight. Think of a meandering country lane, or river leading to the focal point of your image. Like frames, leading lines can be naturally occurring, such as:

• A row of clouds

• Rivers

• A line of trees

• They can be manmade, such as:

• Roads

• Rails

• Converging buildings

NEGATIVE SPACE: 

Negative space composition is one of the ways to use space in photos. Leaving space around your subject gives it “breathing room” within the frame. The minimalism of this photography composition technique ensures that the viewer’s eye is drawn to the subject. Negative space is the empty space in your image, also known as white space, because of it’s use in print media.

BALANCING ELEMENTS: 

Balance in photography composition creates harmony (balance) or tension (imbalance) in an image, depending on how you use it. An example of balanced composition is when you have a strong subject in the foreground, including a smaller element in the background balances the foreground element. This is particularly so when also using the rule of thirds as a composition technique. When you balance elements in an image, you create harmony and interest for the viewer.

DIFFERENTIAL/SELECTIVE FOCUS: 

Differential focus in composition directs the viewer’s eye to where you want them to look, the main subject of your photograph. To achieve differential focus in photos, focus on your main subject and blur the background with a narrow depth of field. In the above example the blurred background contrasts with the in focus subject, so the subject holds your attention.

Differential focus, also known as selective focus, is a well known photography composition technique, especially popular in portrait photography.

SYMMETRY: 

The easiest way to describe symmetry in photography composition is that if you fold a symmetrical photograph in half, along the line of symmetry, you’ll have two identical photos. That is, if the photograph has exact symmetry. The symmetrical composition doesn’t have to be across the entire image for a photo to have symmetry. Parts of the frame can be symmetrical. Or you could get in close and concentrate on just the symmetry, cropping out all other detail.

PATTERNS: 

Patterns create harmony within an image and are a wonderful photography composition tool that entertains the eye. Using patterns as a photography composition technique is visually appealing and calming.  Patterns in composition are created by the repetition of similar elements in photos, specifically:

• Colors 

• Shapes

• Objects

• Lines

DEPTH: 

Because a photograph is two dimensional, we need to create depth to make it more appealing in a three dimensional world. Create layers in photography composition by ensuring there are foreground, middle and background elements to draw the eye into the scene. When one layer overlaps another, the viewer’s eye automatically separates them out and sees the depth in the image.

In photography we’re trying to convert a world that exists in 3D onto a flat piece of paper or screen. To create the 3D effect in 2D, it helps to include layers in your composition.

• Layers add dimension and depth

• Layers help to tell a story

DEPTH OF FIELD: 

Unlike our eyes, a lens can focus on only one distance at a time. Although an area around the in-focus subject appears sharp, the focus falls off and gradually becomes blurry. Put simply, depth of field is the sharpness in the image in front of and behind the subject. Or, to be technically accurate, it’s the distance between the furthest and nearest points that are in acceptable focus. This is the area of focus. 

Using depth of field in composition is a choice between shallow depth of field (blurry background) or deep depth of field (front to back sharpness). Shallow depth of field is a common composition technique for portrait photography. Isolating the subject by creating a blurry background with a shallow depth of field, draws the viewer’s attention to the subject.

As the use of the word depth implies, we have:

• Deep (or wide) depth of field

• Shallow (or narrow) depth of field

POINT OF VIEW: 

Your viewpoint in photography is your perspective on the world you’re photographing. Your choice of photography viewpoint when composing an image forms part of the story you’re telling in your photograph.

Changing your position, and therefore your photography viewpoint dramatically changes the image. Getting down low to photograph your subject, or positioning yourself at greater height than your subject creates a very different image.

Using different viewpoints adds more drama to your photography composition than the expected eye level, standing height viewpoint.

FILL THE FRAME: 

Fill the frame composition is one of the easiest photography techniques for beginners to learn, so I think it’s often overlooked. Filling the frame achieves two objectives:

• When your subject fills the frame, they’re closer to the viewer, so the image is immediately more engaging and feels more intimate.

• If the background is busy and distracting to the composition of your image, filling the frame with the subject cuts out the distraction.

In portrait photography you can completely fill the frame with their face for an attention grabbing image. To photograph patterns (mentioned earlier) with maximum effect, fill the frame with the pattern.

SIMPLICITY: 

Simplicity composition and minimalism in photography is a pleasing and restful as technique that’s also eye catching. When you photograph a single subject without any distractions, you draw the eye straight to the subject. As with filling the frame, simplicity can be created by getting close and zooming in on an aspect of the subject.

LEFT TO RIGHT RULE: 

The left to right photography composition rule is based on the principle that, in western languages, we read from left to right. Therefore it states that we also read photographs from left to right. The rule is controversial, however, because it doesn’t take into account languages that read in other directions.

If movement is shown in a photograph, according to the rule of left to right, the movement should go from left to right. Examples of the left to right rule are a:

• Motorbike racing past from left to right

• Person walking from the left of frame to the right

• Bird flying from left to right