21 Essential Photography Composition Techniques and Rules Every Photographer Should Master

Composition in photography is the art and science of arranging elements in your photo to produce an image that is balanced, has visual appeal and creates the intended impact on the viewer.

Photographers rely on proven composition techniques and rules such as the rule of thirds, depth, leading lines, framing, balance and more to get the shot they want. Using different rules for the same scene yields different results, and so experimenting with the rules of composition is a necessary practice.

This guide explores the importance of composition in photography and provides 21 composition techniques to put to use, experimenting with them until you can use them to dependably get the photographs you want.

What is Composition in Photography?

Composition in photography is the way you arrange and capture the elements within the frame to create a photograph that engages the viewer. Any scene can be composed with a camera in any number of ways. Pictures with good composition show appropriate balance, draw the viewer’s eye around the picture, and follow proven composition techniques and rules.

When the elements can be arranged and rearranged, you can compose the picture exactly as you want. But in most cases, the composition changes depending on the perspective from which you shoot the subjects and objects in the frame, which are included and which are excluded.

Photography composition has been described by photographer Edward Weston as, “the strongest way of seeing” what lies in front of the photographer. It considers viewpoint, decisions about depth and which items to show from foreground to background and whether to show background elements in detail or blurred. Experimenting with different scenes and composition of them is essential to effective composition in photography.

What is the Importance of Composition in Photography?

Composition in photography is important for how the photo is viewed, the statement it makes, the emotion it evokes. Proper composition for that shot takes an image from good to great in the mind of the photographer and viewer. Composition has been described as visual storytelling designed to have emotional impact while presenting the scene with the interest you derive from it. As the saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” And composition determines what those 1,000 words will be.

That is why knowing the techniques and rules of composition is essential to photographers from novice to expert. Composition is your personal way of translating what you see and feel in such a way that the final image exudes your perspective, thought and emotion.

What Are the Elements of Composition in Photography?

The elements of composition are the unique features available that the photographer uses to craft an image that impactfully tells the story. Common elements of composition include:

• Points of interest:This is the fundamental building block of composition, what makes the scene compelling to the photographer and the viewers of the image. These points of interest include the main and secondary subjects.
• Perspective:The same setting can be shot from any number of viewpoints. And so the photographer must choose one that gives the shot the feel they want it to have. Shooting from various heights provide different perspectives, as does shooting straight on or from side to side.
• Empty space:Called negative space, the void around a subject can serve to set it off and draw the eye to it.
• Balance:A balanced image does not have to show symmetry, but the subjects should be harmonious. Using the rule of thirds is common in producing balance within a frame.
• Shapes and lines:Photographers talk about using natural or human-made leading lines, a river or street for example, within the scene to guide the viewer's eye through the photo. Shapes can encapsulate subjects, whether natural or inorganic, and create areas of visual interest.

Additional elements of composition to consider include depth in which the foreground is isolated from the background or in which more depth of field is used, highlighting textures or patterns, light and dark contrasts, and the use of colors to contrast or produce harmony.

What are Composition Techniques and Rules in Photography?

Photography composition techniques and rules are proven methods of composing images that express the scene in an impactful way and produce a response in the viewer.

While often called rules, composition techniques are ways of producing an image, suggestions or guidelines rather than “right or wrong” decisions when photographing a subject or scene.

Some of the best known composition rules and techniques include the rule of thirds for placing elements within the scene on grid lines, using negative or empty spaces to highlight subjects, including leading lines to guide a viewer’s eye across the scene, making use of depth of field for shallow shots with blur those with sharp detail in foreground and background, filling the frame to highlight your subject, creating balance and harmony in the image, and taking advantage of natural framing in the scene.

Not all techniques for composition can be used in each shot. Rather, they are like tools that you can employ to best advantage given the scene you have in front of you or the image you intend to capture.

Understand the Rule of Thirds

The rule of thirds is a mental composition technique that divides the frame into equal thirds vertically and horizontally, creating a 3x3 grid.

It has application to all genres of photography including landscape, portrait, architecture and wildlife photography. Subjects are then placed at the intersection of gridlines instead of centering the main subject. The result is an image that flows better and allows for more visually interesting spacing, inclusion of secondary subjects and use of other composition techniques.

Make Use of Negative Space and Positive Space

Positive space in composition is the part of the photograph that draws your eye to it, often the main subject, such as in portrait photography and product photography. Empty space around your subject serves to display the subject more prominently.

Using the negative space can be achieved by shooting the subject in a sparse environment or with a shallow depth of field that provides bokeh and highlights the positive space occupied by the subject. Increasing positive space by moving closer to or zooming in on the subject or reducing it by moving away significantly affects the mood of the photo.

Include Leading Lines

This common composition rule encourages the use of prominent lines in the scene to direct the eye toward the subject or focal point. The lines can be generally straight, bending or even circular. Using leading lines is prominent in street, landscape, portrait, product, interiors and architectural photography, though it applies more broadly too. Keep in mind that a line that leads off the image rather than to a subject can be a distraction, not a benefit.

Consider Depth

Depth or depth of field is used in photo composition to make an image shallow or deep depending on the purpose of the shot. Use a wide aperture for shallow depth; a narrower aperture creates greater depth in which you can capture in detail objects from the foreground, middle and background. Experiment with different settings to produce the best depth for the shot.

This image was taken with a narrow aperture to produce more depth of field.

Here, a shallower depth of field emphasizes the foreground and blurs the background.

Achieve Visual Balance

This photography composition technique is nebulous – something photographers learn to know when they see it though hard to define. The balance can be symmetrical, in which objects on either side carry similar visual weight, or asymmetrical. An asymmetrical balance can work as long as the visual weight of the sides is not too dissimilar. People’s faces, animals too, bright colors, high contrast and sharp or heavily textured areas have more visual weight.

Use the rule of thirds for positioning objects in the frame for good balance in all kinds of photography. Experimentation with balance sharpens the photographer’s eye for it.

Use Natural Framing

When the setting provides natural framing, use it to your advantage, a “frame within the frame.” Doors, windows, arches, tree branches or leafy canopy, the image in a mirror are the kinds of natural framing available for us in portrait photography, landscapes and cityscapes, and street photography. Photographers can create their own framing by shooting through some of these elements to capture the framing in the foreground.

Experiment With the Golden Ratio

The golden ratio is similar to the rule of thirds but more complicated. It is an ancient composition rule for creating aesthetic appeal that says the ideal ratio of subjects in a shot is 1 to 1.618, called “the perfect number” for the human eye. It is rumored that the Mona Lisa was painted with the ratio in mind! To use it, compose your shot with two focal points being roughly in a ratio of 1.6 or 1.7 to 1, as shown on this line. A=1.618 to B = 1.

Fill the Frame

Make your subject the main attraction in your photo by filling most of the frame with it – whether it is a person, building, street scene, bird, hillside, etc. Giving it this prominence keeps the viewer from becoming distracted by insignificant details or features. This composition rule is most useful when you have one subject in view, and you want it to dominate the shot.

Pay Attention to the Edges

If you want clean edges, make sure that there are no objects near the edge that will draw the eye away from the central subjects in the image. You may have to move closer to the subject, zoom in, or shift the angle in order to eliminate unwanted objects at the edge. If the objects at the edge don’t provide natural framing, eliminate them.

Keep it Simple

The simpler a photo is, the more it communicates a single, strong emotional message or story. Simplicity highlights the subject in a way a complex photo cannot, especially in portrait, street, pet and macro photography.

As with watching the edges, if there are elements in the frame that distract from the message you want the image to convey, remove them or move up, down or sideways to keep them out of the frame. Give your subject the attention it deserves by keeping composition simple.

Use Contrasts in Light and Color

Light and dark, bright and subdued – these contrasts, sometimes called an “emotional dichotomy,” help convey the overall meaning and tone of the photo. Sharp contrast gives the main subject intensity. More subtle contrast exudes calm refinement. Look for opportunities for both high contrast and low contrast shots in landscape photography, street photography, travel photography and more.

Look for Patterns

Patterns attract the eye whether they are found in nature, architecture or other scenarios. A series of hilltops or mountain peaks, jagged edges of an ice flow, shrimp encircling a plate, a series of windows, etc. all give a sense of connectedness and harmony to a photograph.

Focus on Texture

Like patterns, textures demand the attention of the viewer and create an appealing aesthetic. Textures are everywhere, from the broad side of a granite cliff to the cheek of a baby or elderly person to the surface of water or a leaf. Macro photography is used to compose close ups of texture, but other types like landscape and travel photography can include texture even when it isn’t the main focus of the shot.  

Pay Attention to Changes in Light

Especially when shooting outdoors, changes in light happen rapidly and totally change the scene, for example from bright sun to brooding clouds and shadows. As the light changes, use different settings and equipment to make the most of the changing mood in your landscape photography, street photography or portraits.

Subtle light changes just after sunrise make a significant difference in the mood of this image of frost-covered trees.

This “golden hour” shot changed almost by the second until the sunset faded and the sky went dark.

Adjust Tripod Height as Needed

Shooting at a comfortable standing height isn’t always the best way to frame a shot. Consider raising or lowering the tripod to provide a different perspective. A low angle gives the subject height and strength. Raising it, even above natural head height, provides more depth while slightly diminishing the subject.

Experiment with tripod height in your portrait, product, architecture, travel or event photography – or whatever you shoot next.

Change Perspective

Even if the scene in front of you is stationary, you can shoot it from unlimited angles and perspectives. Consider a river, for example. You can shoot it from either side, all angles, and from water moving either toward you or away from you.

Move around the subject, both side to side and high to low, to capture the most visually appealing shots. It might help to change lenses, add a filter or use additional equipment to compose the best shot for that specific, fleeting moment.

Consider the Rule of Odds

The rule of odds is a photography composition rule that says an odd number of similar subjects in a photograph is preferred to an even number. Many have suggested that the human brain searches scenes for patterns, and odd numbers make finding the pattern more difficult but also more interesting. Others suggest that the balance of an odd number, say 3 or 5 objects, is more interesting than the symmetry of an even number, say 4 or 6 objects.

This fun shot shows the rule of three at work.

Allow Space Between Subjects

Clutter gives an image a sense of dis-ease, just as you’d feel looking at a cluttered table or bedroom. When there is too much going on in an image, the main storyline or point is obscured or lost. Instead, adjust perspective, height and depth of field, or remove some elements if possible, to give the primary subjects room to “breathe” a little. This can also be achieved through using a wide-angle lens such as a 35mm lens or wider.

This rule is commonly employed in landscape, product, group portrait, travel and event photography, but applies to all types.

Experiment to Refine Composition

It’s rare for a photographer to get the scene “perfect” on the first shot. More commonly, experimentation and trial and error with settings, perspective, equipment and even post-processing edits are necessary to get an image that evokes the thought and feeling you desire. Think critically about each shot – what could have made it more evocative or visually appealing?

Image from Pexels

Make the adjustments that you believe will bring it in line with what you had in mind, and try, try again. Even pros have room for improvement.

Use Post-processing Edits

There are many post-processing techniques that improve the composition of your pictures. Cropping allows you to adjust the framing and straighten a horizon or elements. Or you can remove unwanted distractions at the edges of your shot. There are many edits that can be made to exposure, improving light and shadow, and contrasts.

Color adjustments for tone, warmth or saturation are common post edits that affect composition. Dodging is the technique of brightening part of an image; burning is a trick used to darken part of the photograph.  

Start with a Vision

You now know the top composition techniques in photography. Putting them to good use is the challenge. And you’ll improve your composition the most rapidly and effectively by beginning any shot with the end in mind.

Ask yourself, “what is my vision for this photograph?” In other words, what statement do you want it to make or what mood present? What emotion to bring out? On a physical level, what subject do you want to prioritize, or do you want balance? What depth of field? Having a goal in mind immediately helps you know which composition rules to employ and adjust as you begin taking pictures.

What Composition Rules are Most Commonly Used in Portrait Photography?

The best composition rules for portraits are:

• The rule of thirds- Mentally create a 3x3 grid in the frame and then place subjects where lines connect.
• Depth –Depth of field options either make the subject of the portrait stand out against a blurred bokeh background, which is more common, or provide more depth of detail.
• Leading lines– prominent natural or artificial lines that lead visually to the subject.
• Framing –Using frame-like features to create a frame within the frame. Common frames are doorways, grape arbors, trees or branches.

Other commonly used composition techniques in portrait photography are expressing symmetry and balance, using negative spaces to highlight the subject, and changing height or angle to produce different looks. It is also important to choose a background appropriate for the type of portrait you are creating.