Photography Composition Rules

Rules of Photographic Composition

As a new photographer, learning photography composition techniques will get you used to thinking of strong compositions as well-composed, natural images that grab attention,

which is what photography is all about, captivating and intriguing your audience.

Your image is in focus, well-exposed, and well-lit, but if it’s poorly composed, it’s never going to be good, but once you understand what composition means, the results change

The Importance of Photographic Composition

Photographic composition is applied well when creating images to help viewers see, understand, and appreciate the images.

There are rules of composition (I prefer to say composition technique) because over time, creators have learned how to:

Humans appreciate an image

The human eye works

The brain reacts to an image.

Long before the invention of the camera, the rules of composition applied to art in general, not just photography.

Why There Are Multiple Composition Rules

Not every rule applies to every scene, so knowing different composition techniques will give you more experience, and you also want to diversify your photography, so the more you know about composition, the more diverse and interesting your photography will be.
Using multiple composition techniques at once in an image improves the effect of the composition, so most photos use multiple composition rules.
Some composition techniques conflict with others, but knowing the composition rules means you know when to use which technique and which combination of techniques works.

You may have heard “you have to break the rules” and that’s a good thing, in fact, sometimes breaking the composition rules is great and can add to the story of the photo, but if you don’t know the combination of photography rules, you won’t know how to break them.

Composition of a Photograph

Now it’s time to learn what composition is, and arrange elements in a way that fits the main idea or purpose of your work. Elements can be arranged by physically moving objects or elements.

Also, good compositions can create masterpieces in even the most basic of post-processing settings, beyond simple exposure and common white balance errors.

Cropping can sometimes save a photo, but only when a tighter frame and removing parts of the image is the right solution,

That’s why thinking carefully about your composition choices before you shoot is a crucial step.

Photography Composition Basics

The basics of photography composition include:

The Rule of Thirds

The rule of thirds is simple, divide the frame into 9 equal rectangles, 3 wide and 3 down, many camera manufacturers already offer the ability to display this grid in live view, so check your camera manual to see how to turn this grid on.

The idea is to place the important elements of a scene along one or more lines or where the lines intersect.

Composition and Symmetry

Sometimes it’s best to place your subject in the center of the frame. Symmetrical scenes are ideal for central compositions. Buildings and roads are often important subjects in central compositions. Scenes with reflections are also a great opportunity to use symmetry in your framing composition.

Foreground Interest and Depth

Adding some foreground interest to a scene is a great way to add a sense of depth to a scene. Images are by nature two-dimensional. Adding foreground interest to a frame is one of several ways to give a scene a three-dimensional feel.

Frame within a Frame

Including frames within frames is another effective way to capture the depth of a scene. . The frame doesn’t have to surround the entire scene to be effective.

Using a frame within a frame provides a great opportunity to use your surroundings to create your work.

Leading Lines

Anything from a path, wall, or pattern can be used as a leading line.

Diagonals and Triangles in Photography

It’s often said that triangles and diagonals add “dynamic tension” to an image, and incorporating triangles and diagonals into our images can help create a sense of “dynamic tension.”

A particularly effective way to introduce dynamic tension is to add triangles to a scene, which can be actual triangular objects or implied triangles.
Patterns and Textures

Humans are naturally drawn to patterns. Patterns can be a series of man-made arches or natural ones like the petals on a flower. Incorporating patterns into a photo is always a great way to create interesting compositions. Less regular patterns can be very pleasing to the eye.

The Rule of Odds

This rule states that a photo is more visually appealing if there is an odd number of subjects, and the theory suggests that an even number of subjects in a scene distracts the viewer because the viewer is not sure which one to focus their attention on.

Filling the Frame in a Photograph

In some cases, filling the frame with the subject, leaving little or no space around it, can be very effective, helping the viewer focus completely on the main subject without distraction, and allowing the viewer to explore details of the subject that would be impossible if it were shot from a distance.

Leaving Negative Space

Leaving a lot of white space or “negative” space around your subject can be very attractive, and it creates a sense of simplicity and minimalism.

Simplicity in Composition

The word “simple” usually means taking photos with a simple background that does not distract from the main subject. You can also create simple compositions by zooming in on a part of your subject and focusing on specific details.

Isolating Your Subject

With a wide aperture, you can blur backgrounds that might otherwise distract from your subject.