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Photography Composition Tips

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If you often feel disappointed with your photographs or can’t work out why the ‘picture postcard’ look eludes you, it may be that you’re not applying the photography rules of composition.

Actually ‘rules’ is not even the right word to use – what works just works. But there are several guidelines that can be very helpful if you want to improve the quality of your images. Learning these simple tricks will not only get you more pleasing results, but will also get you thinking about what you’re doing before you press the shutter. Once you master the basics of composition, you can start having fun breaking the rules!

So here are a few of the most important photography rules of composition:

• Fill the Frame:
One of the most important guidelines for good composition is to fill the frame with your subject. If it’s too small, use your feet to get closer or try a different lens.

• The Rule of Thirds :
There’s a natural inclination to place the main subject in the middle of the frame, but this often produces a dull photograph. By simply moving the camera so that the subject is placed off center, the image can be dramatically improved. Draw imaginary lines to divide the frame into thirds. Do this both vertically and horizontally. Now the points where the lines intersect are considered power points and a good place to put a subject. Not placing the subject in the center of the frame and moving to one of the power points make a more dynamic composition. This allows for more movement in the image by leading you to look from one third to another third instead of just looking in the center.

• Frame the Subject:
Look out for natural frames, for example tree branches or rock formations. Natural framing in images is visually pleasing, and draws the eye into the frame.

• Vary your Viewpoint:
Don’t just point your camera straight forward; get down low for a bug’s eye-view, or aim it up to emphasize scale. The more you experiment with different angles, the more interesting your end results will be.

• Give a Sense of Depth:
Giving your images a sense of depth is honouring the fact that the world is three-dimensional. Take care to include foreground detail in scenes to help with scale and draw the eye into the scene. Careful use of diagonals does the same thing, while at the same time adding a dynamic feel to the image.

• Experiment:
The more pictures you take and the more you experiment, the better you will get. The good thing is that you’re not wasting film, so there’s no reason to hold back!

If you found inspiration on our composition in photography tips, feel free to browse the following pages too:

Related Pages

* All about Photography

* Basic Photography Information

Hope you enjoyed our composition in photography tips!

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