Composition Rules

Wondering why your photos aren’t good enough? Try incorporating some of these rules into your next shoot:

  • Simplicity - get in tight and fill the frame with your message
  • Balance - this can mean symmetry or asymmetry. Know where you want the balance or imbalance to be, but mean it and make it work.
  • Dominant colour - got a colour that stands out or repeats? Fill the frame with the colour, and make sure there aren’t any colours that overwhelm it (warm colours like red and yellow will beat cool colours like green and blue)
  • Leading lines - use lines to lead the viewer’s eye into your subject.
  • Rule of thirds - split the frame into three vertically and horizontally. In this grid of three by three, put your main subject on one of the lines or in a point where two lines intersect and you have taken advantage of the rule of thirds.
  • Pattern - repeat patterns and draw your viewer to the main subject
  • Frame within a frame - use background or foreground elements to frame your subject
  • Unique perspective - shoot from above, below, anywhere other than where you would expect to see a photo taken from.

Mix and match – use any or all of the above in combination and your photos will only improve – assuming the content is good, of course.