2. LEADING LINES
One of the tools you can use as a
photographer to create a meaningful composition
is to use leading lines. Leading lines are used to
draw the viewer’s eye through a photograph. They
are intentional or unintentional, natural lines
created in the space of the photograph and are
used to create a visual narrative in the
composition. Leading lines are also used to draw
your eye to a focal point in the shot that you
would like to highlight.
3. RULE OF THIRDS
In the rule of thirds, photos are divided into thirds with
two imaginary lines vertically and two lines horizontally making
three columns, three rows, and nine sections in the images.
Important compositional elements and leading lines are placed
on or near the imaginary lines and where the lines intersect.
When taking a photograph with the rule of thirds in mind,
it’s always best to compose the photograph in the camera. This
is so that you can avoid cropping later to retain as much of the
image as possible and avoid reducing the quality of your
photographs. However, I encourage going back to some of your
older photography and seeing if you can improve them by
cropping in a way to make them use the rule of thirds
technique.
4. FILL THE FRAME
Fill the frame with as much of the
subject as you can. This can be done
by getting in extremely close, or
simply changing your angle of
perspective. Any distracting
background is eliminated, and the
image is much more intimate, viewed
at an eye-to-eye level.
5. FRAMING THE SUBJECT
We often put the photos we take into
frames as a way of displaying and drawing
attention to our favorite photos – but there
is another type of framing that you can do
as you’re taking your shots that can be just
as effective doing just the same thing!
Framing is the technique of drawing
attention to the subject of your image by
blocking other parts of the image with
something in the scene.
6. U N U S UA L A N G L E / V I E W P O I N T S
A view angle can be used to create compelling
composition to a photo. By choosing unusual angle
of view, one can create a composition that is
something out of the ordinary. You often see
photos of famous sights that are photographed
from the eye level and straight from in front of the
sight. Many photos are taken from the most natural
location and view angle which is of course logical.
However, it means that many photos taken by
different people from the same sight might look
somewhat similar.
7. DEPTH OF FIELD
Depth of field is the amount of distance
between the nearest and farthest objects that
appear in acceptably sharp focus in a
photograph. A preferred selection Depth of field
("DOF") in a focused subject in an image can be
quite subjective. Remember this, adequate
selection of DOF for one situation, application
may be unacceptable for another photographer.
It is all a matter of personal preference when
trying to determine the appropriate use of DOF
to enhance an effect in a photograph.
8. S Y M M E T RY / PAT T E R N S / T E X T U R E
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.
