top of page

TOOLS AND CONSIDERATIONS
Composing a photo requires instincts and as you get better you're going to compose your shot without thinking about what you're doing. As a beginning photographer though, you'll need to spend a few moments actively thinking about a number of compositional considerations.
KEY
TAKE-AWAYS
Leading lines
Diagonals, S-curves and Triangles
Golden ration (golden segment)
LEADING
Lines
TRIANGLES
and
DIAGONALS,
S-CURVES
The
GOLDEN
SECTION
or the Golden Ratio
or Spiral... whatever.
Having studied the principles and elements of design and having an idea of the ingredients that you need to include in your photos, what are you trying to do with them? How do you use them to create interesting compositions? Photographers can use the elements and principles of design to create emphasis, movement, drama or even conflict within an image. These tools tend to help focus the viewer's attention on a specific part of the composition. A well used technique is to create lines (real, or implied) within the frame that lead to the point requiring emphasis.
READINGS
You can read more about this technique and view more examples by searching Google for:
'Using leading lines in photography'.
This concept can and has been extended to a whole set of other shapes, and specific lines. Ask 10 different photographers and you'll get 10 variations on these compositional tools, with advice on how to use each successfully and in different situations. The take-away for you as a new photographer should be to experiment with how line, shape, and placement of your subject within the frame affects your final composition. In the end, you may create balance or imbalance, drama or motion, emphasis or conflict between parts of your composition. Combining these with the elements and principles of design you should strive to create excitement in your images.



READINGS
You can read more about this technique here:
Park, T, (2012, August). Compositional Rules. DPReview, retrieved from https://www.dpreview.com/articles/6426089447/compositional-rules/3
If you're still looking for rules to follow, you're in luck! Here's another one. But I think you're missing the point. There are websites where photographers will argue the benefits of one method over another with images to support their arguments. But if you look at the Golden Segment, and then at the rule of thirds, you'll see they're pretty close to the same thing. It's the idea that matters. Don't just frame everything centrally. Experiment. Move your subject in your frame. Shoot it a couple of different ways. Vary your approach, and be mindful about it. It'll make for more interesting photos. And once in a while you're even going to find that a centrally framed, evenly balanced composition is exactly what the scene calls for. And all these rules go right out the window.

bottom of page