Basic Composition Tips - Learn em to Break em!

One of the first ways to improve your photography, is really the composition of your photographs.

3 of the oldest "golden rules" are: 1) Rule of Thirds; 2) Leading Lines; 3) Patterns
To this I'd add: 4) Look for the Unusual.

1) Rule of Thirds. 

Here's a simple illustration. Typically, you'd take a picture and have your main object smack in the middle (see left). Imagine 4 tic-tac-toe lines cutting across the image (cutting it into 9 parts), rule of thirds say that the picture looks better having the main object of focus at one of the 4 line intersections. So for the picture of the right, I placed the flower at the upper right intersection, which I think improves the composition significantly.

Here's another illustration. It works especially with portraits, where I always give space where the person is looking at. So the picture on the right looks much better with the empty space on the right in front of the bride, rather than behind the bride on the left.



2. Leading Lines

Especially for landscape shots, it'll be nice to have something guide your eye from the corner of the picture to the main object. This picture above is an example, where the net starts from the bottom corner, and you follow it to the middle. Notice also the main kelong being off center (not quite 1/3), but it looks better than just having it right smack in the middle of the picture.

So if you are taking any landscapes, look out for fences, or other things which would lead the eye to the main object in the picture.

3. Patterns

Look out for repetition. Whether it's the floor you are walking on, in a mall you are in, look around you - the ceiling, at the escalators, at people. Patterns are interesting. So the cat picture, has interesting floor tiles, and I've place the cat using the rule of thirds - rather than right smack in the middle of the picture, as one would naturally be inclined to do.

You'll find patterns and repetition all around you. You just have to look out for it.





4. Look for the Unusual

What I like to do, is to see if I can shoot something in an usual way, or a way you don't normally see. There is a lot of trial and error (just shot, costs you nothing in digital), sometimes it works, often it doesn't - but the more you try, the better chance for you to come out with interesting shots.

The left picture, is interesting because, it is shot from a different angle/point of view (plus note the rule of thirds?) - which would be very different if I had just shot this from the side.

So you go to a famous landmark? Don't shoot it how everyone would shoot it, or see it. Find a different view point, pay attention to patterns, leading lines, rule of thirds. Learn to see things differently, and your pictures will come out... different! So the Colosseum has probably been shot to death. So I chose to try out shooting it at night, using long exposure.

Be willing to experiment, and try things. I read a lot, and see what others in the photog world does - and try em out. This future like picture on the left, combines both patterns, leading lines and bit of rule of thirds (the focus of the picture is not right smack in the middle).






5. Learn to Break the Rules
Last but not least, after you know the basic rules of composition, break them! Don't always stick to the rules, different things - the last you want is for all your pictures to look formula-ish/boring.

Wherever I go, I carry my camera (mostly), I keep looking out for interesting things/people to shoot - and I keep shooting!