Three composition rules every beginner photographer should know

If you’ve just started to learn photography, you probably wonder what a great picture means.

Although there are many possible answers to this question, one of the main ingredients of a great photo is a well-balanced composition.

Composition defines the way you dispose of visual elements in the frame.

You want to capture the viewer’s attention and lead them through the entire frame. You want the viewer to observe the entire visual narrative and understand the story you convey through your image. And one of the ways to do that is to put objects of interest in specific areas of the frame.

The theory stands that some proportions are more appealing to the human eye than others. As a result, these proportions are widely used in art, architecture, and design.

Three of them are also used in photography. But there are also other ways to lead the viewer’s eye through the frame and reveal element by element to them.

1. The rule of thirds

The Rule of Thirds says that the human eye is more inclined to look at the first or last third of an image than at the center of the image. Thus, it’s more appealing for the human eye when you place the subject of a photo in those areas of the frame.

All you have to do is to imagine two vertical lines and two horizontal ones that divide the frame into nine equal rectangles. Then, place the subject of your photo along the lines or at their intersections.

The Rule of Thirds works very well for landscapes and scenes with strong leading lines. The viewer will focus on the main subject, which makes a strong first impression, and then will explore the rest of the frame to understand the plot behind your visual story.

The rule also works for scenes with a lot of empty space (called negative space) such as portraits and commercial photos.

2. The Golden Ratio

The Golden Ratio seems to be used in art and architecture from ancient times. Egyptian pyramids, the Greek Parthenon, and Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa have been measured to respect the Golden Ratio.

The rule says that the proportion of 1.618 to 1 is more appealing to the human eye than any other proportion. And the reason behind this rule is the fact that nature uses this proportion frequently. We have it in our DNA, ocean waves, petals on a flower, and more.

The Golden Ratio, also called the Divine Proportion, is best approximated by the Fibonacci numbers that follow a strict mathematical relation.

But for a beginner photographer, knowing that this proportion is appealing to the human eye is enough.

If it’s easy to follow the Rule of Thirds without any help, the Golden Ratio is harder to imagine just looking at a scene.

But, there is a shortcut. Print a photo and draw three vertical and horizontal lines that respect the ratio 1: 0.618: 1. Similar to the Rule of Thirds, the main subject should be along these lines or at their intersections.

And if you look carefully at your drawing, you’ll see that this means the subject is slightly closer to the center of the frame.

So, all you have to do in real life is to imagine the lines for the Rule of Thirds and then slightly move the subject towards the center.

Another way you can use the Golden Ratio is to imagine the Fibonacci spiral overlapping the scene. It looks like a snail shell. Place the most detailed part of the scene in the smallest area of the spiral and work from there. The Fibonacci spiral works very well for scenes with curves.

3. Frame in Frame

Another good technique to lead the viewer’s eye towards the main character of a composition is to use a natural frame.

All you have to do is block part of the empty space with objects that frame the main character.

You can use trees, flowers, rocks, and any other objects you have at hand.

The focus point is on your subject, thus the natural frame will be blurred.

This technique works very well on portraits, weddings, and atmosphere photos. It’s romantic, nostalgic, and intimate.

In conclusion

Some theory is always good when you start to learn photography.

Following the rules helps you deconstruct the scene in visual elements and understand what has to be in the frame and what doesn’t.

As any rule, these are also made to be broken. Not all your compositions should follow a rule or another. But you have to know the rules to be able to break them.

These tips are just a few out of all the amazing, quick, and effective tips and tricks you get with Photography Mastery For Beginners. Head over and read my story about how I almost became homeless.