Photography rules of composition

Photography rules of composition

Photography composition has been an important part of photography over the years. As a professional photographer, understanding it will greatly improve your work. Here are the photography rules of composition you have to master to improve your photography skills. Let’s start by defining what photography composition is.

 

What is photography composition?  

Photography composition relates to the way the different elements in a scene are arranged within a frame. This composition is a critical aspect of photography.  Composition rules or guidelines have been used for many years to produce timeless photographs. Here are the 5 rules of photography composition.

1.    Fill the frame – If your shot would lose impact because of busy backgrounds or surroundings, it is better to eliminate such disturbances or crop it out. This will allow you to focus on the main point of focus. The technique works perfectly especially for portraits when you are capturing intimate photos and you have very busy backgrounds trying to obstruct your shot. Filling the frame involves capturing the shot from the waist up or filling the frame by just capturing the face in order to have a better impact.

2.    Don’t cut off any part in a photo – When you are behind the camera, ensure that you keep your eye on the edges of the frame in order to fully capture your shot. This is to ensure that no part of the shot is cut off. Cutting off the cat’s ear or the tail of a dog or part of the human head will negatively impact the shot.

3.    Use the “rule of thirds” – The “rule of thirds” is an important rule in photography. The rule is to separate your shots into nine sections using a set of vertical and horizontal lines. Place the important elements in the shot on one of the lines or where there is an intersection. This is a great rule that can be applied when taking a shot of a landscape.

4.    Use frames – The frames have different uses when it relates to composition. The frame can help to isolate your object, give an image depth or draw the eye directly to it. Frames can come in the form of bridges, fences, tree branches, human face or arm.

5.    Watch the background carefully – Carefully watch the background when taking a shot. Always focus on the important subject. Too much-colored background can affect your shot. If you are working on a portrait, ensure there are no unwanted items disrupting your shot. One way to eliminate unwanted background is to select a wider aperture if you are making use of DSLR or select the Portrait Mode if you are making use of a compact camera. If you are taking the shot of plants and flowers, it makes sense to use one of the backgrounds in the camera to replace the unwanted background in the scene.

Conclusion

The photography rules of composition are great rules beginners must understand if they want to become professionals. There is no doubt these rules will help them to improve their skills in no small ways.