Composition in photography

Composition - Draw the viewer into the image.

'Rule of Thirds'
A powerful compositional tool.

Learn more about ‘Composition’

When when you line up a shot, angle, height and direction are composition decisions. They are part of the idea behind what to include and exclude. Learning to control these decisions helps you to better set up your shots and improve your photography.
 
 

The fundamentals

Easy introduction to ‘visual elements’ in photographs
Simple ‘Principles’ of photographic composition
Composition (Definition)
Rule of Thirds
The Rule of Odds – Uneven Composition
Warning! Are You Breaking the Rules of Composition?
This one peculiar idea can transform your photography
Work the scene
Seeing the subject… refining your vision
Definition: The Elements of Art (A Glossary entry)

General

Competition Photography
Composition – Time
Symmetry – A Powerful Compositional Tool
Patterns… break the pattern
Geometry and pattern in photography
Break the pattern – draw in the eye
Landscape verses Portrait
Golden Hour; Magic Hour;
Definition: Texture
Five tips to create a winning image with ‘mystery’
Use detail to say so much more – using the ‘perceptual filter’.
Definition: High Key lighting/photography
How to capture attention with one compositional element – the unexpected
A simple introduction to colour for photographers
A little used compositional element most photographers forget (gravity)
A hidden element to pull the eye into your images (overlap)
Use implied infinity to make your shots bigger than the frame
Make a new image – create a synthesis

Lines

Compositional Lines – Principles
Diagonal Lines
Implied Lines in Composition
Horizontal and Vertical Lines
Don’t Stick the Horizon Line in the Middle!
How can hidden lines help your pictures?

Perspective

Perspective (Compositional)
Simple ideas about perspective in photography
Definition: Perspective (compositional)

Framing (compositional)

Fill the Frame – Make it Big and Bold
Provide space for movement
Definition: Crop; Cropping; Cropped;
Fill the Frame – Make it Big and Bold
Crop your pictures to make your point
Composition – Framing your Picture
Definition: Vignette; Vignetting

Specific types of compositional resources

Light and Lighting – Resource links
A page of resources on Minimalism
Abstract Photography – a general introduction and compositional guidance.
Abstract Photography (Definition)

Mono-chrome (black & white; two tone images; )

A composition tip to make you look like a pro… – Photographing contrasts.
How to make your monochrome shots moody

Multiple image compositions:

Diptych
Triptych
Quadtych
Polyptych
Collage
Photomontage
Photomosaic
Google search: photomozaic  External link - opens new tab/page
Google search: photomontage  External link - opens new tab/page

Specific situations:

Portraits – Three Tips and the Work of the Masters
Catchlights; Catch Lights; Catch-lights;
The Eyes Have It… nine ways to emphasize eyes
The mistake we make with holiday photography
Out on a Night Shoot – Night Composition
Take an easy shot that looks like an impressive jump
A little known idea that will help your photography every day (catchlights)

Damon Guy - Netkonnexion

Damon Guy (Netkonnexion)

Damon is a writer-photographer and editor of this site. He has run some major websites, a computing department and a digital image library. He started out as a trained teacher and now runs training for digital photogs.
See also: Editors ‘Bio’.
By Damon Guy see his profile on Google+.