The Ultimate Guide (2024) – Photography Composition: 28 Techniques You Can’t-Miss

Photography composition is one of the critical factors in helping you create striking images and gain many followers and likes on your social media.
However, many photographers have yet to learn what these photography compositions are and how to use these techniques to create some excellent images. In this guide, I will help you solve these photography composition problems.

Photography Composition Techniques Fundamentals

Most photographers may know how to use these compositions, but they don’t understand composition’s basic principles. Indeed, understanding the principles and concepts behind photo composition techniques can elevate your photography skills and enable you to create more impactful images.

In this section, we’ll answer “What is the Composition in Photography?”.

I’ll also show you Why photography composition techniques are essential. Let’s get started.

What is Composition in Photography?

Photo composition encompasses photographers’ techniques and principles to arrange and position visual elements within the image frame to capture many excellent images and draw the viewer’s eyes. The photography composition includes symmetry, leading lines, rule of thirds, framing, and other compositional guidelines.

Why is Composition So Important in Photography?

To understand that, you’ll need to view some images.

1. Establish a visual hierarchy and guide viewers’ attention.

You can check out these two images. The first image’s focal point is the mountain, quickly drawing the viewer’s attention. The second image’s focal point is the road and the mountain far away. The photo composition presents two prominent elements with distinct visual hierarchies: the road and the mountain when it comes to the second image. Therefore, photographers can use different compositions to create a clear visual hierarchy and direct the viewers’ attention.

2. Arrange the primary and secondary elements within the photograph.

In the first image, the building in front was taken as the role of the primary subject, while a peculiar pillar also catches your attention. The building becomes the focal point due to its central position within the image, and the pillar draws further interest because of its unusual shape. If you look forward to highlighting a subject within a picture, it will likely frame the subject in the centre or present it distinctively and uniquely.

By cropping the second image appropriately, viewers are presented with an image emphasizing the flowers and people alongside the buildings. This approach allows photographers to use various photo composition techniques to arrange primary and secondary elements within the image or selectively include or exclude certain elements.

3. Evoke Emotion with Your Images

In the first picture, the sunset scenery showcases nature’s expansive beauty, inviting viewers to appreciate its vastness. However, in the second picture, when a person is placed within the frame, it creates a contrasting effect. The presence of a person within the vastness of the scene can offer viewers the feeling of being small, lonely, and helpless, emphasizing the scale and overpowering nature of the surroundings.

You may be aware of the three benefits of photo composition:

• Establish a visual hierarchy and guide viewers’ attention
• Arrange the primary and secondary elements within the photograph
• Evoke Emotion with your images

You might be wondering:

What steps do you take in advance, and what does the practice of photo composition encompass?

Keep Reading.

How to Make Some Preparations

Before we’re going to dive deep into the complete guide of photography composition techniques in this section, it is important to note that your preparations significantly contribute to achieving an excellent photo composition.

You must focus more on undertaking valuable preparations beforehand to create some excellent images. Here are some practices that are genuinely helpful.

a. The theme or purpose of your photography – You need to understand what photography story you want to share with your viewers and identify your photography purpose or goal.

The first one may express beauty, and the second shows a complicated relationship between humans and the natural world. Having an excellent photography purpose can take your work to the next level;

b. Eliminate distracting elements and highlight a subject – An attractive photo typically features a prominent subject while other elements play supporting roles. Note: the main subject is in focus, and surrounding elements are blurred;

c. Camera angle or position – It is worth considering that selecting a camera angle or position can significantly impact various aspects of an image, including the background, the subject’s shape, lighting conditions, texture, and more. By carefully choosing a camera angle and position, you can get your images’ visual impact or add some excellent elements to images;

How to Capture Excellent Images with Photography Composition

At a Glance:
Here is an index of the 28 composition techniques mentioned in this article:

If you want to create extraordinary and captivating images that leave a lasting impression, these photography compositions can help you.

But the question is:

What do these photography compositions entail, and how can we effectively utilize them?

Read this section to find out.

Low-Angle and High-Angle Photo Composition

What It Is:

The low-angle photo composition refers to photographers taking some images from a low camera position, notably below eye level. This composition allows photographers to produce powerful and standout photos, which show a different world you see from the usual eye-level perspective.

The high-angle photo composition means photographers should capture images from an elevated viewpoint, looking downward at the subject. This photo composition can help create visually striking images.

Why It Works:

The low-angle and high-angle photo compositions differ from the conventional eye-level view, allowing photographers to explore new perspectives and offering viewers unique images.

We know that tons of images are only captured by the typical eye-level view, which seems dull or lacks visual interest. But by exploring low and high-composition techniques, you can add creativity to their photographs, making them more captivating and memorable.

What Photography Genre Works Well:

• Architectural Photography – Low and high-angle photo compositions are an excellent approach to showcasing the overall design and layout of buildings, creating a powerful visual impact
• Landscape Photography – Low-angle compositions applied in landscape photography can include outstanding foreground elements, such as flowers, lakes, rocks, and grass. By employing this photography technique, images gain an enhanced sense of liveliness and dynamism, capturing the viewer’s attention with their vibrant and energetic qualities. The high-angle perspective can show the vast beauty of nature and sweeping views of the natural world.
• Wildlife Photography – the low-angle composition can offer viewers an intimate and immersive experience. The high-angle composition can present animals’ habitat, behaviours, and interactions with their partners and nature.

Sample Pictures:

The low-angle photo composition refers to photographers taking some images from a low camera position, typically below eye level. This composition allows photographers to produce robust and standout photos, a different world you see from the usual eye-level perspective. Here are some images from low-angle, high-angle photo composition:

Simplicity

Beginner | Intermediate

What It Is:

This photography technique is equivalent to minimalism, focusing on including only the essential elements in the frame while eliminating unnecessary distractions.

Why It Works:

Compared with other photography composition techniques, the simplicity makes it easy to convey some intended messages effectively and exclude many unnecessary elements within the images. Additionally, the subject becomes more prominent and stands out, guiding the viewer’s attention after removing unnecessary elements.
Simplicity is often one of the most straightforward photography skills for beginners. As novice photographers may have limited experience with complex images, focusing on simplicity can help them create visually pleasing photographs.

What Photography Genre Works Well:

How to Use Simplicity in Photo Composition:

a. Walking closer to the subject or using a telephoto lens -these two effective techniques are for capturing details or specific parts of a subject – Many beginner photographers often choose wide-angle lenses to take pictures, which can sometimes lead to complex and tedious images.

We published the Wide-Angle Lenses Under $300.

They may struggle to incorporate multiple elements into their compositions effectively. Therefore, you need to walk closer to the subject or purchase a telephoto lens for taking images.

b. To crop a photo in post-processing – you can use Photoshop or other photo applications to delete unwanted parts, adjust the composition and highlight the subjects. However, this may lead to lower resolution or reduced detail compared to the uncropped version.

c. Choose background – to highlight the subject and create a simple image, you have other options for the background: a dark background, a light background, or a pure colour background, silhouette, and more.

d. Shallow depth of field – To achieve a shallow depth of field and create a simple picture with a blurred background and foreground, you can walk closer to the subject and use a large aperture with a long focal length. This skill can offer viewers visually pleasing images and a comfortable experience;

e.Foreground occlusion – To eliminate complex elements and highlight the subject, you can place objects in front of your camera or have things present in front of your captured subject. This technique helps to simplify the composition and draw attention to the main subject.

f. Convert a colour image into a black-and-white image – If you want to present the relationship between light and dark, texture to your viewers or convey meaningful storytelling, a black-and-white image is the best option.

Lines

What It Is:

Lines in photography are often used to create visual interest, guide the viewer’s attention, convey a message, and add depth to an image. They can be actual lines within the scene or implied by the arrangement of objects, shapes, or patterns.

Why It Works:

Lines offer photographers an excellent tool for composition. They are abundant in our surroundings, guide attention, convey emotions and feelings, and simplify images. By harnessing the inherent power of lines, photographers can create captivating and meaningful photographs that resonate with viewers.

What Photography Genre Works Well:

• Architecture Photography – Buildings feature a wealth of strong lines and allow photographers to capture many excellent images with straight lines, curves, symmetry, and interesting perspectives.

• Landscape Photography – It is important to note that lines in the natural environment can be found in various forms, such as trees, rivers, roads, fences, and more. These lines can draw the viewer’s attention towards specific subjects or scenes photographers want to highlight.
• Street Photography – Street photographers enjoy taking street photos partly because lines are filled with the street. By incorporating these lines into images, photographers can capture some dynamic shots.
• Minimalist Photography – This genre focuses more on simplicity (abovementioned). Lines are an excellent tool for creating clean compositions and removing distractions.

How to Use Lines in Photo Composition:

Vertical lines

Beginner | Intermediate

Vertical lines represent stability, strength, silence and safety, and rigid…

Horizontal lines

Beginner | Intermediate

Horizontal lines represent stability, tranquillity, calmness…

Oblique lines

Beginner | Intermediate

Oblique lines show imbalance or instability, energy, creativity, innovation…

S-curved lines

Intermediate | Advanced

S-curved lines represent elegance, grace, beauty…

Spiral lines

Intermediate | Advanced

Spiral lines symbolize energy, vitality, and life force…

Polylines

Intermediate | Advanced

Polylines represent tension, power, and energy…

Radiation lines

Beginnner | Intermediate

Radiation lines symbolize power, shock, and explosion…

Centered Composition

Beginnner | Intermediate

What It Is:

Centred composition is a photography technique where the main subject is positioned directly in the centre of the image frame. This composition technique lets photographers direct the audience’s attention to the main subject.

Why It Works Well:

Photographers can place the main subject in the centre of the image frame and direct viewers’ attention to the intended focal point without unwanted elements. Additionally, centred composition can create balance and Symmetry within images, offering stability and safety. It is easy for a photographer, whether you are a beginner photographer or an amateur photographer, to learn. The centred composition can emphasize the subject and offer strong visuals.

What Photography Genre Works Well:

• Portraiture- – Centered composition can be highly impactful in portraiture, emphasize the subject, and quickly build a strong connection between the viewer and the subject. This photography composition can show people’s personalities.
• Product Photography – Centred composition can be particularly useful in product photography. By placing the product directly in the centre of the frame, it becomes the clear focal point, allowing viewers to focus on its design, features, and details.
• Architectural Photography – if you want to showcase a building’s powerful, robust, and stately qualities, the centred composition is the best choice for creating the desired visual impact, particularly when capturing symmetrical buildings or structures.
• Still Life – It can provide photographers with a balanced and harmonious arrangement of subjects, offering viewers pleasant and pleasing feelings.

Symmetry

What It Is:

Symmetrical composition is a technique in photography where the elements within an image are organized to achieve a balanced and mirror-like symmetry. The frame is divided into two halves, with the elements mirroring those on the other side. The symmetrical composition includes horizontal symmetry and vertical symmetry.

Why It Works Well:

The symmetrical composition is easy for beginner photographers to learn and creates a feeling of balance and order in an image.

What Photography Genre Works Well:

• Architectural Photography – The number of buildings feature symmetrical elements to show their beauty. Using symmetrical composition highlights the precision and balance of the design without any unwanted elements.
• Landscape Photography – If you are a landscape photographer, some symmetrical compositions can be found in natural landscapes, such as reflections on calm water, ice, etc.
• Still Life Photography – In still life photography, photographers can use this symmetrical composition to offer balance, order, and formality.

How to Use Symmetrical Composition in Photo Composition:

Vertical Symmetry

Beginnner | Intermediate

Horizontal Symmetry

Beginnner | Intermediate

Golden Ratio(Rule of Thirds)

Intermediate | Advanced

What It Is:
The rule of thirds is a composition guideline that divides the frame into a grid of nine equal parts by drawing two vertical and two horizontal lines. This grid helps photographers create more visually balanced and interesting compositions.

Why It Works Well:

The rule of thirds composition can direct viewers’ attention to the main focal point of the main subject within the frame and create a balanced and harmonious visual by appropriately arranging the amount of space to the subject and the surrounding elements.

What Photography Genre Works Well:

• Landscape Photography – In landscape photography, photographers need to showcase balance and harmony in the natural world via the rule of thirds composition. Photographers can create pleasing and striking images by perfectly placing the foreground, midground, and background elements.
• Portrait Photography – The rule of thirds is employed in portrait photography, which helps photographers create visually pleasing images and draw viewers’ attention to people’s personalities and characters.
• Street Photography – Placing the subject along one of the thirds of the frame, particularly at the intersections, can create a more visually pleasing and balanced composition.
• Still Life Photography – Placing the main subject or vital elements along the grid lines or intersections adds visual interest and guides the viewer’s attention to the focal point.

Golden Spiral

Intermediate | Advanced

What It Is:

The golden ratio, the golden mean, the golden section, or divine proportion, is a mathematical concept often associated with beauty and harmony. It has a long history dating back to ancient Greek mathematicians.

One of the benefits of using the golden ratio is that it helps direct the viewer’s eye through the entire photo. The image becomes more dynamic and engaging by placing key elements or points of interest along the lines or intersections defined by the golden ratio.

What Photography Genre Works Well:

• Landscape Photography – This photo composition is employed in landscape photography, which can positively impact foreground, middle-ground, and background and offer some harmonious landscape images.
• Portraiture – The Golden Spiral is the best composition to direct viewers’ attention to the main subject and show the subject’s face, eyes, and other details. This photography composition can allow the main subject to be placed along the lines and intersection position to create striking images.
• Still Life Photography – The Golden section is used in still life photography. Photographers can arrange their subjects along a curve and create a visual path for the viewer to follow, leading their gaze from one element to another naturally and engagingly. This photography skill can help develop a sense of movement and add a dynamic quality to the image.
• Architectural Photography – Many buildings or structures in photographing architecture have golden spiral or golden sections. You can find golden sections in the proportions of windows, columns, doorways, or other architectural features.
• Macro Photography – Macro photography is distinct from other photography genres, and if you aim to produce unique and extraordinary macro photos, the Golden Spiral is an effective composition technique. Utilizing this approach allows you to capture intricate details of the macro subject while directing the viewer’s attention towards the main focal point.
  

Contrast

Intermediate | Advanced

What It Is:

Contrast is a commonly employed technique in various types of photography. It refers to the distinction or difference between elements within a photographic composition. Photographers often utilize contrast by strategically positioning multiple components, such as tones, textures, colors, and more, to create a visually compelling image.

Why It Works Well:
Contrast is a technique that many photographers find easy to master. Using color, texture, and background comparisons makes it easier to make the main subject stand out within the frame while maintaining balance in your photography. In complex situations, employing contrast composition can be particularly helpful because it can allow photographers to highlight the main subject and simplify the photographic scenario, offering desired results.

What Photography Genre Works Well:

• Street Photography – In street photography, line compositions are commonly used. However, if you strive to make your images stand out from the rest of the street photos, employing contrast can be an excellent technique. It allows you to deviate from traditional rules and create points of interest that draw the viewer’s attention.
• Landscape Photography – In landscape photography, light and shadow, color comparison, and texture comparison are frequently employed techniques. While traditional composition techniques like lines, golden spirals, and others can sometimes feel dull and repetitive, contrast can add interest and dynamism to your images.
• Portraiture – Contrast is a versatile and widely employed technique in portrait photography, utilized in various ways, including texture, light and shadow, and more. One effective way to incorporate contrast is by creating a contrasting background against the main subject, which can add depth and visual interest to the portrait image.
• Still Life Photography – When photographing still life photos, photographers can use some critical elements(such as color, texture, shape, and so on) to highlight the main subject and bring some interest and impact to images.
• Architectural Photography – All architectures are built with various lines and fascinating structures. However, relying solely on traditional composition techniques to capture these buildings can sometimes appear tedious and fail to hold the viewers’ interest. The architecture can be brought to life by employing contrasting compositions, offering viewers surprises and enhancing engagement.

How to Use Simplicity in Photo Composition:

Large vs Small

Intermediate | Advanced

This skill can create striking photographs, draw attention, and resonate with viewers (earth vs human being)

Contrast between motion and stillness

Intermediate | Advanced

This technique helps convey a sense of energy, action, and vitality within the image;

Light vs Dark

Intermediate | Advanced

Many photographers use this skill for two purposes:

• 1. To contribute to a photograph’s overall mood and atmosphere and to share stories with viewers;
• 2. To emphasize the three-dimensionality and texture;

Contrast between reality and illusion

Intermediate | Advanced

Creating a contrast between reality and fantasy in photography can be achieved by highlighting the subject and blurring the background or surrounding elements. This technique can reduce distractions and create a cleaner, more focused image;

Textures contrast

Intermediate | Advanced

This technique is often used in children’s and product photography. Many children photographers tend to capture the fresh feet or hands of a newborn baby, surrounded by the rough hands of their father or mother. That can highlight the texture of two hands or feet.

Repetition

Intermediate | Advanced

What It Is:

Repetition photography refers to the deliberate use of repeating shapes or patterns within the frame of an image as a compositional element.

Why It Works Well:

Compared with other photography compositions, the repetition technique can create a rhythm, order, and dynamic movement, offering viewers balance, harmony, and organization.

What Photography Genre Works Well:

• Landscape Photography – In landscape photography, photographers find repetition skills easy to master, particularly in complex landscape situations. It can showcase the landscape’s beauty and grandeur by taking some repeated elements in the natural world, such as trees, mountains, animals, etc.
• Wildlife Photography: When photographing wildlife, repetition is an excellent photography technique. Photographers can capture a flow of animals with similar shapes and patterns in the grass or the natural world, showing a harmonious feeling within images. Photographers can also catch some animal details to show its beauty and unique patterns, like a peacock.
• Architecture photography – Architecture photography is a prime genre for utilizing repetition as a powerful compositional technique. Buildings often feature repeated elements such as windows, arches, columns, and other architectural details, making them excellent subjects for repetition photography.
• Street Photography: As a street photographer, repeated elements are everywhere, such as people, signs, lights, cars, etc. Photographers can select these elements and skillfully incorporate them into your image based on your purpose and story and capture some impressive street images.

Repetition and Change

Intermediate | Advanced

What It Is:

Repetition and change composition refer to subtle variations or different subjects among the repetitive elements to hold viewers’ attention.

Why It Works Well:

The repetitive elements within images can create rhythm and dynamic movement for viewers. However, once repeat composition is overused, viewers may feel dull, and the photographer will find it hard to keep viewers’ interest and attention. The repetition and change may offer people surprises and happiness.

What Photography Genre Works Well:

• Street Photography – Street photography sometimes offers the chance to capture moments of change and unexpected moments. Photographers can incorporate random elements into repeated elements within the frame, offering a big surprise to viewers.
• Landscape Photography – Introducing man-made elements within the natural landscape is a great way to showcase the interaction and balance between the natural world and human beings. 
• Architecture Photography – Capturing the lighting change in different days and seasons is a fantastic way to add interest and excitement to architecture photography. The ever-changing light can change the appearance and mood of buildings, creating unique opportunities for capturing their beauty.

 Geometric Photography Composition

What It Is:

The geometric photography composition means that photographers can capture outstanding images by highlighting lines, patterns, and shapes that exist in the world. This photography composition showcases the geometry and symmetry found in various subjects.

Why It Works Well:

The geometric structures and elements can be found in various subjects, making it accessible for beginner photographers to explore and learn. The lines, shapes, and patterns act as visual guides, helping simplify the image and create a strong composition for drawing attention to the essential elements of the scene.

What Photography Genre Works Well:

Architectural Photography – We know that architectural photography is best known for its strong lines, patterns, shapes, and design. Suppose you want to highlight the beauty of the geometric elements within a frame and capture striking images with more historical and modern details. In that case, the  Geometric Photography Composition is worth learning and practising.

Landscape Photography – Various geometric elements, such as roads, fences, rocks, and more, are found in the natural world. Photographers can incorporate these elements into their landscape photos for outstanding results.

Still Life Photography – In still life photography, photographers have full control over arranging the subjects in a scene, making it easier to create orderly compositions with specific geometric shapes or designs. This photography composition allows photographers to capture balanced and harmonious images.

How to Use  Geometric Composition in Photo Composition:

Golden Triangles

Intermediate | Advanced

Golden triangles represent robust, sharp…

Circles

Beginnner | Intermediate

Circles represent perfection, equality, unity, harmony…

Squares

Beginnner | Intermediate

Squares represent rigid, honest…

Rectangles

Beginnner | Intermediate

Rectangles represent stability, balance, and organization…

Trapezoids

Intermediate | Advanced

Trapezoids represent stability, inequality, and variability…

Rhombuses

Intermediate | Advanced

Rhombuses represent balance, harmony, and equality…

How to Learn and Practice Photography Compositions

It is no secret that photography composition is a vital skill that produces many excellent pictures.

But knowing these photography composition techniques doesn’t help you capture some great images. Therefore, learning and practising every day work best for excellent photos.

Here are several tips to help you learn photography compositions well and create striking photographs.

1. Make a Photography Composition Practice Plan

As we know, learning requires time and dedication. So, if you want to practice your photography composition and take your photography to the next level, you need to create a task list for these composition techniques. For example, you can spend specific periods practising a particular technique, such as the rule of thirds or the golden ratio. This way can help you have a deeper understanding and familiarity with various photography techniques.

2. Start with Simple and Easy Photo Compositions

Now that you have created a plan for your photography compositions, it’s time to fill it with content. It is an excellent idea for beginner photographers to start with simple photography compositions. Here are some accessible photography compositions to consider practising: repetition, symmetry, centred design, and low-angle and high-angle photo composition.

Once familiar with these techniques, you can gradually capture images with more complex compositions. But if you are an advanced photographer, it is recommended that you use more than one composition within a single image to create some visually striking images.

(If you’d like to get inspiration on photography composition from well-known photographers’ works, here are our famous photographers you must know in 2023).

3. Photography Imitation

Although you know how to make a plan and start with easy techniques, you still need to figure out the specific stories or images to capture. In such situations, imitation may be an efficient method to improve your photography skills and capture images you like. First, you must find some great photographers you admire and then view their pictures and study their compositions. By immersing yourself in their work, you will get some inspiration and apply their techniques to your photographs. After capturing images that emulate your admired photographers, please compare them and analyze the subtle differences. By using this approach, you will gradually refine your photography composition skills and create your photography style.

4. Join some Photography Communities

Simply taking pictures and keeping them to yourself can limit your ability to receive valuable feedback and helpful tips from other photographers. By actively participating in photography communities, you will get a wealth of knowledge and opportunities for growth. This interaction allows for a faster and more comprehensive progression in your photography journey.

5. Practice, Practice and Practice

Practice plays a significant role in achieving success. If you want to become an excellent photographer, it is crucial to spend ample time practicing and working harder than your peers. There may be instances when you capture hundreds of images, with only one or two turning out genuinely excellent. However, it is essential not to give up; instead, continue capturing images and persistently refining your skills.

Composition in photography FAQs

What makes a good composition in photography?

A good composition is that photographers can visually express their ideas and evoke emotions in viewers by skillfully arranging elements within the frame. Therefore, you need to pay more attention to lines, light, colour, and their relationship in an image.

What are the best books about photo composition?

The above-mentioned photography composition tips provide a solid foundation for creating compelling images. If you still have no idea how to learn photography composition, the Photographic Composition is the best.

Can I improve my composition by photographing with a smartphone?

Absolutely! All these photography composition techniques apply to mobile photography as well. You can use the same principles of composition, such as repetition, symmetry, and leading lines, to create excellent images with your mobile phones.

Conclusion

Here are some simple and widely adopted photography techniques that can help you create captivating images, drawing the viewer’s attention and making them stand out. Some photographers may find photography techniques to be complex and challenging. Therefore, if your goal is to create captivating images that attract viewers, it is essential to consider some basics:

• Make the image look simple – don’t capture too many elements within a single frame and instead strive for simplicity;

• Easy to understand-the images are easily understandable for viewers, allowing them to grasp the stories behind them and understand the emotions and meaningful stories that the photos convey;
• Evoke a sense of freshness – it can make images stand out from other photos and compel them to pause and take notice;
• Provide viewers with surprise – this can build a strong relationship between images and viewers, such as excitement and awe. It can also offer viewers impact and memorable experience;

Please comment below if you have any tips or suggestions about photography techniques.

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