10 Photographic Composition Rules

1. Rule of Thirds
2. Rule of Space
3. Rule of Simplicity
4. Rule of Odds
5. Leading Lines
6. Diagonal Lines
7. S-Curves
8. POV (Point of View)
9. Unusual Angles
10. Framing

Mr. Zeko: Digital Photo A: Composition Rules: Definitions

1. The Rule of Thirds

The king of compositional rules! Any photographer who does more than just take snapshots knows
something about the rule of thirds. The basic theory goes like this: the human eye tends to be more
interested in images that are divided into thirds, with the subject falling at or along one of those
divisions. Many DSLRs will actually give you a visual grid in your viewfinder that you can use to
practice this rule. If yours doesn’t, just use your eye to roughly divide your image with four lines
into nine equal-sized parts, then place your subject at the intersection of those lines. For example,
when photographing a person it is generally better to position him or her at the right or left third of
the frame rather than directly in the middle.

2. Rule of Space
This rule incorporates two very similar ideas: breathing room and implied movement. The leaving
space rule probably comes naturally to you, but if you need a way to visualize it think of your frame
as a box and your subject as something you’re going to be putting inside of a box. To make your
subject comfortable, you need to give him a bigger box that allows him some visual freedom and/or
freedom of movement. If your subject is looking at something (even something off-camera), make
sure there is some “white space” for him to look into. (White space, of course, is not a literal term
but a term used to describe the space that surrounds your subject, usually that part of the frame
where there isn’t anything happening.) Likewise, “implied motion” means that if your subject is in
motion you need to give her some space that she can move into.

3. Simplification (Simple Backgrounds)

As a general rule, simple images tend to be more appealing than complicated ones. This idea is
similar to the previous “fill the frame rule,” in that it demands that you get rid of distracting
elements in your photo (see how all these rules are related)? To use this compositional rule, simply
ask yourself this question: does that element add to my composition? If it doesn’t, get rid of it. You
can do this by recomposing so that the element is no longer in the frame, zooming in on your
subject, using a wider aperture for a shallow depth of field, or simply cropping the image later in
post-processing-.
4. Rule of Odds
Moving on to some simpler ideas, the rule of odds is somewhat related to the rule of thirds. The eye
tends to be more comfortable with images that contain an odd number of elements rather than an
even number. A photograph of three birds on a wire, for example, is probably going to be more
appealing than an image shot after that third bird flies away. The reason for this is that the human
eye will naturally wander towards the center of a group. If there’s empty space there, then that’s
where the eye will fall. As a photographer, you want your viewer to look at a subject, not at an
empty space.

5. Leading Lines​: Leading lines are lines within an image that leads the eye to another point in the
image, or occasionally, out of the image. Anything with a definite line can be a leading line. Fences,
bridges, even a shoreline can lead the eye. If you can pair leading lines with a subject that is placed
according to the ​rule of thirds​ your image should be very strong.

6. Diagonal Lines
Diagonal lines generally work well to draw the eye of an image’s viewer through the photograph.
They create points of interest as they intersect with other lines and often give images depth by
suggesting perspective. They can also add a sense of action to an image and add a dynamic looks
and feel.

7. S Curves: ​S curves can have a mesmerizing effect on the viewer as their eyes sweep back and
forth through the frame. They also create a sense of depth as the eye moves from foreground to
background.​ ​S curves can be found in the natural flow of a river, a winding road, or a pathway.

8. Point of view​ in photography simply means the position from which the camera sees the scene.
Are you looking down on the subject? Are you looking up at the subject? How close are you to the
subject? Is there anything between you and the subject? Every decision you make about point of
view will change how your viewer sees the photo.

9. Unusual View Angle: ​A view angle can be used to create a 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 that are
logical. However, it means that many photos taken by different people from the same sight might
look somewhat similar. That can be boring because the view in the photos is something that
everybody sees while walking by the sight. Choosing an unusual view angle instead of the natural
one can often increase the appeal of a photo.

10. Framing: ​The world is full of objects that make perfect natural frames, such as trees, archways
and holes. By placing these around the edge of the composition you help to isolate the main subject
from the outside world. The result is a more focused image that draws your eye naturally to the
main point of interest