10 Top Photography Composition Rules

There are no fixed rules in photography, but there are guidelines which can often help you to enhance the impact of your photos. It may sound clichd, but the only rule in photography is that there are no rules. However, there are are number of established composition guidelines which can be applied in almost any situation, to enhance the impact of a scene. These guidelines will help you take more compelling photographs, lending them a natural balance, drawing attention to the important parts of the scene, or leading the viewer's eye through the image. Once you are familiar with these composition tips, you'll be surprised at just how universal most of them are. You'll spot them everywhere, and you'll find it easy to see why some photos "work" while others feel like simple snapshots.

Rule of Thirds:
Imagine that your image is divided into 9 equal segments by 2 vertical and 2 horizontal lines. The rule of thirds says that you should position the most important elements in your scene along these lines, or at the points where they intersect. Doing so will add balance and interest to your photo. Some cameras even offer an option to superimpose a rule of thirds grid over the LCD screen, making it even easier to use.

Image by Trey Ratcliff

Notice how the building and horizon are aligned along rule-of-thirds lines.

Balancing Elements:
Placing your main subject off-centre, as with the rule of thirds, creates a more interesting photo, but it can leave a void in the scene which can make it feel empty. You should balance the "weight" of your subject by including another object of lesser importance to fill the space.

Image by Shannon Kokoska

Here, the visual "weight" of the road sign is balanced by the building on the other side of the shot.

Leading Lines:
When we look at a photo our eye is naturally drawn along lines. By thinking about how you place lines in your composition, you can affect the way we view the image, pulling us into the picture, towards the subject, or on a journey "through" the scene. There are many different types of line - straight, diagonal, curvy, zigzag, radial etc and each can be used to enhance our photo's composition.

Image by Pierre Metivier

The road in this photo draws your eye through the scene.

Symmetry and Patterns:

We are surrounded by symmetry and patterns, both natural and man-made., They can make for very eye-catching compositions, particularly in situations where they are not expected. Another great way to use them is to break the symmetry or pattern in some way, introducing tension and a focal point to the scene.

Image by Fabio Montalto

The symmetry of this chapel is broken by the bucket in the bottom right corner.

Viewpoint:
Before photographing your subject, take time to think about where you will shoot it from. Our viewpoint has a massive impact on the composition of our photo, and as a result it can greatly affect the message that the shot conveys. Rather than just shooting from eye level, consider photographing from high above, down at ground

level, from the side, from the back, from a long way away, from very close up, and so on.

Image by Ronsho

The unusual viewpoint chosen here creates an intriguing and slightly abstract photo.

Background:
How many times have you taken what you thought would be a great shot, only to find that the final image lacks impact because the subject blends into a busy background? The human eye is excellent at distinguishing between different elements in a scene, whereas a camera has a tendency to flatten the foreground and background, and this can often ruin an otherwise great photo. Thankfully this problem is usually easy to overcome at the time of shooting - look around for a plain and unobtrusive background and compose your shot so that it doesn't distract or detract from the subject.

Image by Philipp Naderer

The plain background in this composition ensures nothing distracts from the subject.

Depth:
Because photography is a two-dimensional medium, we have to choose our composition carefully to conveys the sense of depth that was present in the actual scene. You can create depth in a photo by including objects in the foreground,

middle ground and background. Another useful composition technique is overlapping, where you deliberately partially obscure one object with another. The human eye naturally recognises these layers and mentally separates them out, creating an image with more depth.

Image by Jule Berlin

Emphasise your scene's depth by including interesting subjects at varying distances from the camera.

Framing:
The world is full of objects which make perfect natural frames, such as trees, archways and holes. By placing these around the edge of the composition you help to isolate the main subject from the outside world. The result is a more focused image which draws your eye naturally to the main point of interest.

Image by Sally Crossthwaite

Here, the surrounding hills form a natural frame, and the piece of wood provides a focal point.

Cropping:
Often a photo will lack impact because the main subject is so small it becomes lost among the clutter of its surroundings. By cropping tight around the subject you eliminate the background "noise", ensuring the subject gets the viewer's undivided attention.

Image by Hien Nguyen

Cut out all unnecessary details to keep keep the viewer's attention focused on the subject.

Experimentation:
With the dawn of the digital age in photography we no longer have to worry about film processing costs or running out of shots. As a result, experimenting with our photos' composition has become a real possibility; we can fire off tons of shots and delete the unwanted ones later at absolutely no extra cost. Take advantage of this fact and experiment with your composition - you never know whether an idea will work until you try it.

Image by Jule Berlin

Digital photography allows us to experiment with different compositions until we find the perfect one. Composition in photography is far from a science, and as a result all of the "rules" above should be taken with a pinch of salt. If they don't work in your scene, ignore them; if you find a great composition that contradicts them, then go ahead and shoot it anyway. But they can often prove to be spot on, and are worth at least considering whenever you are out and about with your camera.

Source: http://www.photographymad.com/pages/view/10-top-photographycomposition-rules

10 rules of photo composition (and why they work)

In photography, its not just what you shoot that counts the way that you shoot it is crucial, too. Poor photo composition can make a fantastic subject dull, but a wellset scene can create a wonderful image from the most ordinary of situations. With that in mind, weve picked our top 10 photo composition rules to show you how to transform your images, as well as offered some of our best photography tips from the experts who do it on a daily basis. Dont feel that youve got to remember every one of these laws and apply them to each photo you take. Instead, spend a little time practising each one in turn and theyll become second nature. Youll soon learn to spot situations where the different rules can be applied to best effect. Photo composition doesnt have to be complicated. There are all sorts of theories about the Rule of Thirds and more complex Golden Mean, for example. But if you pay too much attention to strict formulae, your photos will lose any kind of spontaneity. In the real world, youll be working with a wide range of subjects and scenes, and this requires a more open-minded approach. What works for one photo wont necessarily work for another. The key thing is to understand how all the decisions you make about composition can affect the way a shot looks and how people perceive your photos. The way you frame a shot, choose a focal length or position a person can make all the difference. Technical know-how is very important in photography, of course, and even in some aspects of photo composition. But to take great shots you need visual knowledge too. Here are 10 key things to look out for.

Photo Composition Tip 1: Simplify the scene:

Image copyright Jure Kravanja

When you look at a scene with your naked eye, your brain quickly picks out subjects of interest. But the camera doesnt discriminate it captures everything in front of it, which can lead to a cluttered, messy picture with no clear focal point. What you need to do is choose your subject, then select a focal length or camera viewpoint that makes it the centre of attention in the frame. You cant always keep other objects out of the picture, so try to keep them in the background or make them part of the story. Silhouettes, textures and patterns are all devices that work quite well in simple compositions.

Why it works-

Photo Composition Tip 2: Fill the frame:

Image copyright Jure Kravanja

When youre shooting a large-scale scene it can be hard to know how big your subject should be in the frame, and how much you should zoom in by. In fact, leaving too much empty space in a scene is the most widespread compositional mistake. It makes your subject smaller than it needs to be and can also leave viewers confused about what theyre supposed to be looking at. To avoid these problems you should zoom in to fill the frame, or get closer to the subject in question. The first approach flattens the perspective of the shot and makes it easier to control or exclude whats shown in the background, but physically moving closer can give you a more interesting take on things..

Why it works-

Photo Composition Tip 3: Aspect ratio:

Image copyright Andy Lea

Its easy to get stuck in a rut and take every picture with the camera held horizontally. Try turning it to get a vertical shot instead, adjusting your position or the zoom setting as you experiment with the new style. You can often improve on both horizontal and vertical shots by cropping the photo later. After all, it would be too much of a coincidence if all your real-life subjects happened to fit the proportions of your camera sensor. Try cropping to a 16:9 ratio for a widescreen effect, or to the square shape used by medium-format cameras.

Why it works-

Photo Composition Tip 4: Avoid the middle:

Image copyright Piriya Pete Wongkongkathep

When youre just starting out, its tempting to put whatever youre shooting right in the centre of the frame. However, this produces rather static, boring pictures. One of the ways to counteract this is to use the Rule of Thirds, where you split the image up into thirds, both horizontally and vertically, and try to place your subject on one of these imaginary lines or intersections. This is an overrated approach, though. Instead, move your subject away from the centre and get a feel for how it can be balanced with everything else in the scene, including any areas of contrasting colour or light. There are no hard and fast rules about achieving this kind of visual balance, but youll quickly learn to rely on your instincts trust that youll know when something just looks right.

Why it works-

Photo Composition Tip 5: Leading lines:

Image copyright Fernand Hick

A poorly composed photograph will leave your viewers unsure about where to look, and their attention might drift aimlessly around the scene without finding a clear focal point. However, you can use lines to control the way peoples eyes move around the picture. Converging lines give a strong sense of perspective and three-dimensional depth, drawing you into an image. Curved lines can lead you on a journey around the frame, leading you towards the main subject. Lines exist everywhere, in the form of walls, fences, roads, buildings and telephone wires. They can also be implied, perhaps by the direction in which an off-centre subject is looking.

Why it works-

Photo Composition Tip 6: Use diagonals:

Image copyright Jure Kravanja

Horizontal lines lend a static, calm feel to a picture, while vertical ones often suggest permanence and stability. To introduce a feeling of drama, movement or uncertainty, look for diagonal lines instead. You can need nothing more than a shift in position or focal length to get them wider angles of view tend to introduce diagonal lines because of the increased perspective; with wide-angle lenses youre more likely to tilt the camera up or down to get more of a scene in. You can also introduce diagonal lines artificially, using the Dutch Tilt technique. You simply tilt the camera as you take the shot. This can be very effective, though it doesnt suit every shot and is best used sparingly.

Why it works-

Photo Composition Tip 7: Space to move:

Image copyright Max Earey

Even though photographs themselves are static, they can still convey a strong sense of movement. When we look at pictures, we see whats happening and tend to

look ahead this creates a feeling of imbalance or unease if your subject has nowhere to move except out of the frame. You dont just get this effect with moving subjects, either. For example, when you look at a portrait you tend to follow someones gaze, and they need an area to look into. For both types of shot, then, there should always be a little more space ahead of the subject than behind it.

Why it works-

Photo Composition Tip 8: Backgrounds:

Image copyright John Powell

Dont just concentrate on your subject look at whats happening in the background, too. This ties in with simplifying the scene and filling the frame. You cant usually exclude the background completely, of course, but you can control it. Youll often find that changing your position is enough to replace a cluttered background with one that complements your subject. Or you can use a wide lens aperture and a longer focal length to throw the background out of focus. It all depends on whether the background is part of the story youre trying to tell with the photo. In the shot above, the background is something that needs to be suppressed.

Why it works-

Photo Composition Tip 9: Creative with colours:

Image copyright Jure Kravanja

Bright primary colours really attract the eye, especially when theyre contrasted with a complementary hue. But there are other ways of creating colour contrasts by including a bright splash of colour against a monochromatic background, for example. You dont need strong colour contrasts to create striking pictures, though. Scenes consisting almost entirely of a single hue can be very effective. And those with a limited palette of harmonious shades, such as softly lit landscapes, often make great pictures. The key is to be really selective about how you isolate and frame your subjects to exclude unwanted colours.

Why it works-

Photo Composition Tip 10: Breaking the rules:

Image copyright John Powell

Photo composition is a little like a visual language you can use it to make your pictures pass on a specific message. However, just as we sometimes use the written word to create a deliberately jarring effect, we can do the same with photos by breaking with standard composition conventions. Doing it by accident doesnt count, though! Its when you understand the rules of composition and then break them on purpose that things start to get interesting. Its often best to break one rule at time, as John Powell does in the image above. Just remember: for every rule we suggest, somewhere out there is a great picture that proves you can disregard it and still produce a fantastic image!

Why it works-

Source: http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2012/04/12/10-rules-of-photocomposition-and-why-they-work/

6 of the Best Tips Ever for Composing Photos

It doesnt matter how idyllic your scene is, how well youve exposed or how sharp your images may be. Bad photo composition will spoil a picture every time. Below weve compiled 6 of what we believe are the best tips out there for composing photos more intelligently.

01. Straighten up:

The word horizon is found in the word horizontal, and thats just what it should be. If your SLRs got an in-camera electronic level, use it. If not, invest just a few pounds in a hotshoe-mounted spirit level. It will save you time correcting your shots in Photoshop later. Some SLRs have a grid that can be activated and superimposed

over a Live View image on the rear LCD screen, making getting level horizons a breeze. Alternatively, use the autofocus points across the viewfinder to do the same.

02. Check the edges of the shots frame:

The majority of SLR viewfinders dont provide you with full 100% coverage, so its easy for unwanted elements that you cant see through the viewfinder to creep into a shot. The only way to be certain is to check your cameras LCD once the shot is taken. If theres anything in the frame thats not needed, adjust your composition and shoot again.

03. Odd numbers work best:

Theres more than a hint of truth to the phrase three is the magic number, especially where composition is concerned. If you want a balanced composition, try reducing the number of subjects to three. Three people, three colours or even three tones the list goes on. Odd numbers work especially well because they fit better into a frame thats symmetrical and has four sides. Framing for odd numbers also leaves you one central subject that can be perfectly balanced on each side.

04. Position your subject off-centre:

Choosing to place your main subject off-centre creates a fantastic sense of balance and artistry in your pictures. The classic rule of thirds is the photographers best weapon in achieving this. Imagine a noughts and crosses grid placed across the frame place the main subject or feature at one of the points that the lines cross, or the along one of the lines.

05. Use lines creatively:

You can use the power of lines to dramatically alter the impact of a picture. Vertical lines add a sense of strength to an image while horizontal lines are more tranquil especially if you rotate the camera to emphasise them (such as vertically to frame tree trunks, or horizontally to shoot a seascape). Diagonal lines create a more dynamic image and often add impact to action shots.

06. Take more shots than youll need:

Even with static subjects, consider shooting a burst of frames using your cameras continuous shooting mode. Subtle variations in the light as clouds move across a

landscape, or a portrait subject changing their expression, are both examples of a perfect moment that could be missed with just a single shot, so shoot a burst and pick the best frame later on. Be careful not to overshoot, though, as youll end up with lots of duplicates.

Source: http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2012/07/16/6-of-the-best-tips-ever-forcomposing-photos/

Rule of Thirds: use it and break it with confidence

It may sound complex and mathematical, but following the Rule of Thirds in photography is a simple way of improving photo composition. The Rule originates from painting and drawing, but its just as valid in photography.

The aim of the Rule of Thirds is to help create an image that feels balanced with the subject given the attention it deserves, and it is based on the principle that we tend to prefer asymmetrical images.

The first step is to imagine that there are two vertical and two horizontal lines that divide the scene into evenly sized sections, three vertical and three horizontal. If you are composing a photo on the LCD screen of an SLR or compact camera or in an electronic viewfinder you may not even need to imagine this bit as there is often a grid view that can be turned on via the menu to indicate the vertical and horizontal sections. When you are shooting all you need to do is to move the camera around, or maybe zoom in or out, until the important elements in the scene are arranged on these lines. With a landscape, for example, this may mean tilting the camera down a little so that the horizon lies along the top horizontal line, so that two thirds of the image is taken up by the land and one third by the sky.

Now, if there was a particularly attractive tree in the landscape, you might want to walk around until you find a spot that enables you to compose the image with the tree lining up with one of the vertical lines. The key to deciding where to put the horizon is to decide what is more important to the image. In the average landscape it is usually the land, but with a sunset, for example, it is more likely to be the sky, so you want it to occupy more of the image.

Wide appeal:
This clever little rule can be applied to lots of different photographic genres. With portrait photography, for example, the eyes are often the most important element. If you position them in the centre of the frame youll wind up with lots of empty space above the subjects head. Its far better to position the eyes along the top horizontal line.

And if the subject is looking off to one side, dont have them looking straight into the edge of the image. If they are looking towards the right of the frame, for example, position them along the left vertical line so they are looking into the space on the right of the frame. It makes for a more comfortable composition. The same principle can also be applied to action photography as images often look better if the subject has some space to move into. This can sometimes be tricky to achieve at the shooting stage, especially as the central autofocus points are usually the most accurate, but theres no shame in cropping image post-capture to get a more balanced composition professional sports photographers do it all the time.

Break the Rule of Thirds:

Like all the best rules, the Rule of Thirds is there to be broken. While it can help with image composition there are times when breaking it results in a better image. The important thing here is to break it rather than ignore it. Ignoring the rule could produce a randomly composed image, whereas consciously breaking it usually results in a more considered composition.

Its usually best to break the rule dramatically so it doesnt just look like an accident or sloppy composition. Shooting a landscape shot with lots of the sky and just a slither of the land at the bottom, for example, can really draw attention to a feature in the landscape.

Meanwhile, other scenes, look better with a symetrical composition. The latter works especially well with subjects that convey a sense of direction, a pier extending out into a lake for example, or an arrow in the road. In some cases the sense of symmetry can be heightened by cropping the image to a square.

If in doubtOne of the great things about digital photography is that as long as you have the storage capacity, it doesnt cost you anything to shoot lots of images. So if you are uncertain about how to compose an image and whether to observe the rule of thirds or not, try shooting both ways. Over time you will begin to learn what will suit the scene before you. In some cases you may find that both work, but the images are very different.

Source: http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2012/06/12/rule-of-thirds-use-it-andbreak-it-with-confidence/