1. Balance and Symmetry Composition
There are 5 areas of balance and symmetry which help produce more balanced and compelling photographs or designs:
Symmetrical balance
Asymmetrical balance
Radial balance
Rule of thirds
Visual centre
These may also be combined.

2. Each half like a mirror image of the other side
Symmetrical Balance 
Each half like a mirror image of the other side

3. Symmetrical Balance Centrally aligned elements
Logo, source: openclipart.org

4. Symmetrical Balance
Sides mirrored

5. Symmetrical Balance
Often suited to formal, traditional or old subjects

6. Can be plain or boring, but also reliable and consistent
Symmetrical Balance
Can be plain or boring, but also reliable and consistent

7. Main subject often placed to one side rather than centre
Asymmetrical Balance
Main subject often placed to one side rather than centre

8. Asymmetrical Balance
Sides are no longer “mirrored”

9. equally interesting Asymmetrical Balance
Asymmetrical balance can be achieved by dividing up the composition into areas which are different, but
equally interesting

10. Asymmetrical Balance
Elements placed to one side, then counterbalanced by different elements on other side

11. Asymmetrical Balance
This is also known as equally distributing visual weight

12. Asymmetrical Balance
Larger element is shifted nearer to the centre and smaller element further to the side

13. Asymmetrical Balance
The dominant but SMALLER area of BRIGHTER red (dress) to the left of centre is counterweighted by the DULLER but LARGER area of pink (dress) to the right of
A dominant shape with a low value contrast to the background will demand our attention as much as a small shape with a strong value/colour contrast to the background.

14. Asymmetrical Balance
A larger area of lighter colour is needed to balance the smaller area of the denser colour
Which weighs more, a pound of cotton balls or a pound of gold?
They are equal in weight, but very different in appearance

15. Asymmetrical Balance
Sometimes subjects can be balanced by “white space”, or empty space, or just a plain simple background

16. Asymmetrical Balance
Asymmetrical balance – different sides but equally interesting or weighted

17. Asymmetrical Balance

18. Radial Balance
With radial balance, circular patterns can radiate out from a point, or patterns can swirl around in a circular or spiral path.

19. Radial Balance
Perspective lines leading to a vanishing point - these images are from Tallinn

20. Radial Balance
Lines leading to a point

21. Radial Balance First Channel of Soviet television logo
Source: openclipart.org

22. Rule of Thirds
Rule of thirds uses a 3*3 grid to help you create balanced layouts. For example, important elements can be placed at intersections of the grid lines, or along lines

23. Rule of Thirds
Some digital cameras allow a 3rds grid to be placed in the view finder

24. Rule of Thirds
This example shows elements, i.e. faces, filling the rectangles of the grid spatially

25. Rule of Thirds
A few more examples …

26. Visual Centre
The visual centre is considered to be to the right and above the geometric centre of a page or composition

27. Visual Centre
The focal or dominant point in the picture lies in the visual centre
geometric
centre

28. Visual Centre

29. Visual Centre