Composition is the art of placing elements within the frame. The same subject can look ordinary or fascinating depending on how it is framed. Here are 8 basic rules used by photographers that you can apply today, with any camera.
1. The rule of thirds
Imagine your image divided into three columns and three rows. Place the subject or the horizon on one of the lines or at their intersection rather than in the centre: the image gains dynamism. Most cameras and smartphones offer a grid to help you.
2. Leading lines
Roads, jetties, rows of coconut palms, shorelines: lines draw the eye towards the subject. Look for them around you and line them up in the frame.
3. Framing within the frame
Use a door, a window, an arch or branches to frame your subject. It creates depth and focuses attention.
4. Simplify the background
A pole that seems to grow out of a head, a sign or a bin in the background can spoil a beautiful photo. Before you press the shutter, look at the whole frame, not just the subject, and change your angle if needed.
5. Change your point of view
Crouch down to photograph a child at their level, climb onto a low wall for a landscape, move closer. The best framing is almost never the one you find standing up at eye level.
6. Let the subject breathe
In a portrait, leave space in front of the gaze or in the direction of movement: the image feels more natural.
7. Symmetry and patterns
A reflection in the water, a centred building, a series of repeated patterns: perfect symmetry works well, as long as it is deliberate and precise.
8. Know the rules… to break them better
These rules are guidelines, not laws. Once you have mastered them, you can break them on purpose to create a more original image.
Read also: taking better photos yourself · understanding exposure.
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