composition

rules of composition

symmetry

main subject is in the center of the frame

rule of thirds

intersections of gridlines contain elements of interest

leading lines

lines draw our eyes towards the subject or journey through a scene

patterns

our brains like patterns and repetition, such as through shapes and colors

viewpoint/perspective

shot angles from high to low or eye-level convey different messages

framing

framing can focus our eyes toward the main point of interest

fill the frame

filling the frame with more of your subject and less background or ancillary elements can make your main subject more clear and distinct

depth of field

narrowing the depth of field and setting the focus point on the main subject can make your subject standout

negative space

the space around a subject can indicate scale or imply an emotion like isolation

images by various photographers on unsplash

elements of composition

• objects
• points
• lines
• shapes
• textures
• colors
• size
• relationships
• depth
• space
• balance
• patterns

resources

• petapixel - 28 composition techniques that will improve your photos
• photographylife - elements of composition
• richard sudbury - photography tutorials
• erik johansson - surreal photography