1. Photography’s Rules of Composition

2. “Rule of Thirds”
Imagine that your image is divided into nine equal segments by two vertical and two horizontal lines. Try to position the most important elements in your scene along these lines, or at the points where they intersect.

3. “Rule of Thirds”

4. “Rule of Thirds” Image by Trey Ratcliff.

5. “Rule of Thirds”

6. Fill the Frame
You are more likely to get a “wow” shot if you fill the frame with your point of interest. This is especially true for people shots.

7. Fill the Frame
Often a photo will lack impact because the main subject is so small it becomes lost among the clutter of its surroundings. By uncluttering around the subject you eliminate the background "noise", ensuring the subject gets the viewer's undivided attention.
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8. Fill the Frame

9. Image by Shannon Kokoska
Balancing Elements
Placing your main subject off -center, as with the rule of thirds, creates a more interesting photo, but it can leave a void in the scene which can make it feel empty. You should balance the "weight" of your subject by including another object of lesser importance to fill the space.
Image by Shannon Kokoska

10. Balancing Elements

11. Balancing Elements

12. Balancing Elements

13. Leading Lines
When we look at a photo our eye is naturally drawn along lines. By thinking about how you place lines in your picture, you can affect the way we view the image, pulling us into the picture, towards the subject, or on a journey "through" the scene. There are many different types of lines - straight, diagonal, curvy, zigzag, radial etc - and each can be used to enhance your photo's composition.
Image by Pierre Metivier
10-top-photography-composition-rules

14. Leading Lines
Image by David Clapp

15. Leading Lines
Image by David Clapp

16. Leading Lines

17. Image by Fabio Montalto.
Symmetry and Patterns
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.
Image by Fabio Montalto.

18. Symmetry and Patterns

19. Symmetry and Patterns

20. Symmetry and Patterns

21. Viewpoint/Perspective
Before photographing your subject, take time to think about where you will shoot it from. Our viewpoint has a massive impact on the composition of our photo, and as a result it can greatly affect the message that the shot conveys. Rather than just shooting from eye level, consider photographing from high above, down at ground level, from the side, from the back, from a long way away, from very close up, and so on.
Image by ronsho.

22. Viewpoint/Perspective
blog.nmathaiphotography.com

23. Perspective

24. Damon Winter/ New York Times
Perspective
Damon Winter/ New York Times

25. Perspective

26. Image by Philipp Naderer.
Background
How many times have you taken what you thought would be a great shot, only to find that the final image lacks impact because the subject blends into a busy background?
Is it free from distracting elements, such as a telephone pole growing out of a head? If you shift your position slightly, you can often improve your background.
Image by Philipp Naderer.

27. Background
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28. Depth
You can create depth in a photo by including objects in the foreground, middle ground and background.
Image by Jule Berlin.

29. Depth
Image by David Clapp

30. Image by Sally Crossthwaite.
Frame within a Frame
The world is full of objects which make perfect natural frames, such as trees, archways and holes. Frames can add interest and draw your eye into the main subject.
Image by Sally Crossthwaite.

31. Frame within a Frame

32. Frame within a Frame

33. Frame within a Frame

34. Diagonal Rule
Placing the point of interest at a diagonal will almost always increase composition interest.

35. Diagonal Rule

36. There are no “Rules of Composition”.
Rules

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42. Photo by Giuseppe Bognanni.
Photo by Giuseppe Bognanni

43. Image by http://www.mychinaconnection.com
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