Photo composition basics: rule of thirds, leading lines, framing and light

TUREFF• •0

Two people can stand in the same spot with the same camera and come home with very different pictures. Most of the difference is composition: what you include, what you leave out and where you put it in the frame. None of it depends on expensive equipment. Everything below works on a phone just as well as on a camera.

Start with the subject

Before you think about rules, ask what the photo is of. A busy street, a face, a shadow on a wall? If you cannot say it in a few words, the viewer will not be able to tell either. Every other decision is about making that subject easy to see.

The rule of thirds

Imagine the frame divided by two horizontal and two vertical lines into nine equal boxes. Placing your subject on one of those lines, or where two of them cross, usually feels more balanced and alive than putting it dead centre.

Turn on the grid in your phone's camera settings or your camera's viewfinder. It draws the lines for you.
Put the horizon on the top or bottom line, not through the middle. Sky interesting? Give it two thirds. Foreground interesting? Give that two thirds.
For portraits, try placing the eyes near the top line, with space in front of the face in the direction the person is looking.

It is a guideline, not a law. Symmetrical scenes, such as reflections or doorways, often look best centred on purpose.

Leading lines

Roads, paths, rivers, fences, railings and rows of trees all pull the eye along them. Use them to lead the viewer towards your subject.

Lines that start near a bottom corner and run into the frame create depth.
Converging lines, such as railway tracks, make a scene feel deep and draw attention to where they meet.
Watch for lines that lead the eye straight out of the picture and away from the subject.

Framing within the frame

Shoot through something: a window, an archway, overhanging branches, a gap between buildings. A natural frame around the subject adds depth and tells the viewer exactly where to look. It does not need to be a complete border; a dark branch across one corner is often enough.

Foreground interest

Landscapes often disappoint because everything is far away and flat. Add something close to the lens, such as rocks, flowers or a boat, and the picture gains a sense of scale and depth. Get lower than feels natural: crouching changes the whole relationship between foreground and background.

Simplify

Most weak photos have too much in them.

Move closer. Then try moving closer again.
Check the edges of the frame before you press the shutter. Bins, signposts, stray elbows and bright patches pull attention away.
Change your angle to find a plain background: sky, a wall, grass, shadow.
Look for anything growing out of a person's head, such as a lamp post or tree.
Negative space, a large empty area around a small subject, can be powerful when it is deliberate.

Light matters more than gear

The same scene looks completely different at different times of day.

Golden hour, roughly the first and last hour of sunlight, gives warm, soft, low light with long shadows.
Harsh midday sun creates hard shadows under eyes and noses. Move people into open shade.
Overcast days are excellent for portraits, flowers and anything with fine detail.
Blue hour, just after sunset, suits city lights and buildings.
Notice where the light comes from. Side light shows texture; light from behind the subject creates silhouettes and glowing outlines.

Phone or camera: the habits are the same

Tap to focus on your subject, then adjust exposure by sliding up or down on most phones.
Avoid digital zoom on phones; walk closer or use the phone's dedicated telephoto lens if it has one.
Wipe the lens. A fingerprint smudge is the most common cause of hazy phone photos.
Take several versions: horizontal and vertical, closer and wider, higher and lower. Choose later.

Practise on purpose

Pick one technique for a whole walk, such as only leading lines.
Shoot the same subject ten different ways.
Look at photos you admire and work out which of these ideas they use.
Crop your old photos to see how a better composition would have looked.

Post a photo you are proud of, or one that did not work and you are not sure why, and ask for feedback in the comments.