Photo Composition
Photo composition is what makes people look at your photos for more than a couple of seconds. It's what makes them stare, what makes them go "wow" and what ultimately makes or breaks your photos.
This page presents an overview of how important composition is, and the articles listed below go into details of how to use composition to make your photos shine.
- The rule of thirds
- Use leading lines to draw the eye into the photo
- The problem with snapshots - use good composition to make your photos better
- Crop your photos to fix compositional errors
- Depth of field - control which parts of your photos are in focus
Why is composition so important?
Composition separates amazing photos from merely "good" photos. The amazing ones quite literally stop you in your tracks and make you pay attention.
How does composition improve your photos?
A photo should invoke an emotional response, for example the awe of natural beauty or the sadness of someone crying. You can't just take a snapshot of a valley and hope it ellicits these reactions.
It takes thought and imagination to compose a photo well.
When someone looks at a photo, they think they control where they look, but it's your job as a photographer to make viewers' eyes go straight to where you want them. Use of lines, colour, texture, perspective, size, positioning and many other factors contribute to making the photo as interesting and powerful as possible.
Composition requires creativity and imagination and takes practice. The best way to improve your compositional skills is just by gaining experience.
Start looking at photos in a different way from now on.
When you see a great photo, think about why it's so great. Why has the photographer put that tree there and taken it in portrait format rather than landscape? This will help you understand what makes a good photo.