Latest Articles on Composition in Photography

There is power in composition.  Do you believe that?

Every work of art that you enjoy, incorporates one or more, usually many, compositional techniques. Consider this the start page to your journey to learning not only what composition in photography truly is, but how to incorporate these compositional techniques into your photographs.

What is composition in photography?

Composition in photography is simply the arrangement of the objects and elements in any photograph.  As a photographer, you have the power to create images that people are more likely to like by arranging the objects and elements in certain ways.

This particular arranging of elements is known as composition, and how objects and elements are arranged is referred to as compositional techniques.

The power of composition in photography.

From my article on the rule of thirds, which of the images below do you prefer?

Obviously, the image on the right.  But why?  Why do you prefer it?  If you were to ask ten people why they prefer the image on the right to the picture on the left, you would most likely get ten completely different answers.

The true answer is that you like it because visual tension is created by using the composition technique called the rule of thirds.

As a photographer, by knowing and using compositional techniques like the rule of thirds, you have the power to create images that people are more inclined to like.

And if you’re a professional photographer like me, that leads to sales and more clients.

Take a look at this senior portrait; can you look anywhere else in the image but directly at him?

The truth is, you can’t.

Go ahead, give it a try.  I’ll wait.

It takes complete and absolute effort to not look at his face, and more directly to not look at eyes.

The reason for this?  The use of composition in photography has allowed me to force the eye of the viewer exactly where I want it to go.  The main compositional technique of this image is leading lines.

Our eyes naturally follow lines, and all lines lead to him.  Our eyes are also drawing to areas of greatest contrast.  Again, that is him.

You can do this in your images as well.  By learning and employing compositional techniques in your photography.

To learn more, read my latest articles below and check out my tutorial that not only teaches you about each compositional  technique, but also has challenges that help you to learn and incorportate those techinques quickly into your photography.