Composition in Photography

Rules of Classic Composition

For centuries, painters have followed several rules of composition that are applicable to the world of photography. These include the rule of thirds, leading lines, and tension.

I’ve had the good for tune of wor king in the Aeolian Islands of Italy on assignments for National Geographic as well as this shoot for Traveler Overseas magazine .

We’d rented the sailboat Biligu to travel between islands. The beautiful after noon

light helped create a layered image: sever al layer s of infor mation reach from the

foreground of the captain, to the middle area of the ocean, to the rock str uctures Spinazzola on the r ight and Stromboli on the left.

7–14mm lens, 1/125 second at f5.6

The Rule of Thirds

One of the classic compositional theories is the rule of thirds. This is a simple but quite effective way of constructing your image so the viewer’s eye is drawn to one of several key spots. Applicable in both the art and photographic worlds, this helps you create

images that are nicely balanced and pleasing to the eye.

To visualize the rule, divide your viewfinder equally into thirds, both horizontally and vertically. Then compose the photo to allow the subject or center of interest to fall on one of the four intersection points.

S-Curves

The eye is also attracted to the gentle sweep of an S-curve (see the opening photo). Be it a

road or river leading from the foreground into the distance, this curve will draw the viewer’s eye along the path where your main subject can be placed.

The inter section points on the hor izontal and ver tical lines are the spots where you should place your subject or point of visual interest.

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A hor izon line placed low in the fr ame creates a more interesting photo of a

buffalo herd in nor ther n Color ado. If the hor izon line were across the center of the photo, it would have been too symmetr ic to be interesting. Here , the “big

sky” is emphasized. 14–54mm lens, 1/250 second at f8

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Rhythm and Repeating Patterns

As in the photo of the B-52 bombers, another compositional theme is repeating patterns or rhythm. Seen in the redundant pattern of the aircraft, this theme carries the eye from the foreground to the background of the photo.

Using Horizon Lines

Horizon lines are best not placed across the dead center of the photo. When centered, the photo is divided into two distinct frames in the viewer’s mind. Both parts are given equal importance and no tension is introduced

into the frame. It’s better to have the horizon line high in the frame, emphasizing the foreground, or, conversely, placing the horizon line low and emphasizing the sky.

Leading Lines

Leading lines, such as a fence running from foreground to background, draw the eye into the photo and along the course of those lines.

This is a powerful way of using an element in the environment to pull the eye along a given path.

Layering

Look at the classic documentary work of Larry Frank, Danny Lyons, and Henri Cartier- Bresson to see how these photographers use the different layers of the photo to create entire dialogues within each.

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While photogr aphing an assignment on the Futalefeu River in Chile , we were r iding hor ses on a path adjoining this Class V r iver. I used layer ing in the composition of this photo of a gaucho leading our way. This creates different layer s of interest: the tr ail for ms the background layer,

the r ider on the left for ms the middle layer, and my hor se’s neck creates the foreground layer.

This forces the viewer to absorb the content of each layer and combine the infor mation for the photo’s message . Here I am using the tr ail to lead the viewer’s eye into the distance .

11–22mm lens at 11mm, 1/125 second at f5.5, 100 ISO

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Scale

By simply adding a familiar element to the photograph, such as a human, car, or animal, we create an instant indicator of the size of the landscape or subject. This is a great way to inform the viewer of the scale of the photo.

Tension

This is what we take aspirin for, right? In our real lives, perhaps. But in the world of graphic arts, tension is a tool we can use in our photography to convey a feeling in the photo. Two-time Pulitzer Prize–winning

photographer (and friend) Larry Price provides this definition of tension:

The idea of “tension” in a photograph or other two-dimensional image—as in a painting or collage, for instance—can be interpreted as a manner of composition that excites the visual senses apart

from the generally accepted “rules” of composition. For instance, classical composition such as the “rule of thirds” usually results in a pleasing arrangement regardless of the subject matter. But if the artist breaks all the rules and uses extreme compositional techniques, the resulting visual “tension” sometimes results in a more engaging image. For instance, if the photographer severely tilts the camera frame, visual tension

is induced because the viewer isn’t accustomed to viewing the real world from a skewed perspective. These techniques sometimes work because they stimulate the visual senses to accept

the information as a new and different way of looking at the world. The best photographers and artists constantly challenge the basic rules of composition to find ways to infuse this tension. If successful, the results yield energetic and vibrant visual statements.

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This photo of the village of Wagu in Papua New Guinea was shot on assignment for National Geographic , as par t of “Retur n to Hunstein Forest,” a stor y dealing with an unexplored area of the countr y. I wanted to illustr ate

what this village looked like in a visually interesting way. I had a villager walk through Wagu with a lanter n, having taken an exposure reading of the light that the lanter n cast on the huts, and waiting until that exposure matched the exposure of the light in the sky. The line created by the lanter n’s light, and the lines on the walls of the

building, act as leading lines, pulling the viewer’s eye into the photo. 20mm lens, 20 seconds at f5.6

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Keep It Simple

When my kids were younger, one of their favorite books was Simple Pictures Are Best (by Nancy Willard). That title is a good motto for photographic success. By eliminating distracting and unimportant material in the

photo, we force the viewer to interact with the subject.

In our visually sophisticated society, I’m surprised that one of the common problems I see in many photographs is too much going

on in the frame. The photographer is often so excited by what is happening in front of the lens that he doesn’t remember that the camera is capturing everything in the field of focus.

A frequent comment when viewing photos in print form or on the computer monitor is “I didn’t realize that was going to be in the photo.”

Move close and fill the frame, remembering that the viewfinder is your world, and everything in the frame should be relevant to the image. Don’t hesitate to move closer or farther back physically to frame the subject. Many photographs suffer from the photographer allowing the eye to become the zoom lens, never changing physical perspective by moving closer to the subject.

Another often-prescribed rule in photography is this: Don’t place your subject in the middle of the frame. This habit is like kids learning to kick soccer balls—the natural tendency is to kick to the center of the goal where the goalie is. The tendency for the

new photographer is to center everything. Photographically, this can create boring images.

Here are a few thoughts on keeping your photos simple and graphically appealing:

■     Use one center of attention in the image. Too many areas requiring the attention of the viewer will create a confusing image.

■     Move in close to fill the frame or move farther back to capture more of the environment.

■     Move high and low to change your perspective.

■     Use fence lines or other leading lines to draw the viewer to the subject.

■     Be aware of what’s in the frame. Sounds simple, but too many photos suffer from being way too busy.

■     Use the viewfinder as a painter uses a canvas, making certain that everything in the frame is relevant to what the photo is saying.

Breaking the Rules

Now we’ll go in the other direction and discuss breaking the rules I’ve described.

Photography is an art form—and a subjective art form at that. Our criteria for what makes a great photo is personal. The photo I love, someone else might find uninspiring. I enjoy looking at some of the photography found in

many publications such as Condé Nast Traveler. The out-of-focus, weirdly cropped, strangely composed pictures may succeed because they

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By using implied subjects in this image—the tracks of animal, the shadow of a deser t plant, and the r ipples of the sand

dune—the viewer is provided enough infor mation to create a feeling of the deser t. 7–14mm lens, 1/60 second at f8

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draw the viewer into the image and create a sense of place.

These images work on a different level, speaking to emotion instead of a literal translation of the subject. Many photographers are flaunting the rules of focus and composition and are succeeding in producing powerful images. The point once again: does the photo work or not?

What Makes Your Photo Work

A photo can work on several levels. Compositionally, the photo can be well constructed, following the rules of

composition, and it may not work. Bert Fox, former National Geographic photo editor, now director of photography at the Charlotte Observer, sits in front of a computer monitor all day, looking through hundreds of photos and deciding during the edit which images to keep. Bert has to make a very fast, instinctual decision on what photos are “working.” What is it that makes the photo succeed?

One of the greatest powers of photography is the ability to capture reality. We are photographing moments in our lives, and these images can become a testament

to that time. Is it art? If the photo is strictly a document of a moment with no intent of composing or using elements to convey a

message, that photo probably does not qualify as art.

But if the photo creates an emotion in the viewer, whether it’s nostalgia,

melancholy, outrage, or humor, and if it also has craftsmanship, then perhaps it becomes art. The photographer has the ability to

use compositional elements to construct at least a visually interesting photo. But to take that photo to the next level requires

the photographer to combine composition, the sense of the moment, and historical or emotional content.

We’re taught from early on that first impressions are important. This is true in photography as well. How well the viewer reacts initially is how that photo may be remembered. The reader of a magazine will linger on a photo for less than a second. The photographer has to create a first impression that will force the viewer to linger. The photograph has to succeed on deeper layers of meaning.