It has been a while since I have talked about photography on here so I thought I would jump back in to it for this post.
In photography you are taught that there are different rules to composing an image, different things to pay attention to that help create a cohesive photograph. The same can go for any other form of art. A composition is when the various parts of an image have been consciously arranged to create a visual expression.
So while you can easily just point the camera straight at something and take a picture, the rules of composition are used to help you frame an image and to help create pictures that are more pleasing to the eye.
One of my favourite quotes is “learn the rules like a pro and break them like an artist” so, for example, the rule of thirds tells you to keep your subject out of the center of the frame but if you feel like the image words better shooting straight on then that is okay. So with that being said…learn the rules of composition and then start to bend them to your taste.
This post is obviously directed more at photography but these can go for any visual art whether that is painting, drawing, video and so on.
Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds is all about keeping your subject out of the center of the frame. Imagine two lines going vertical and two lines going horizontal and place the subject near the intersection of those lines.
Rule of Odds
This is a super simple one. An odd number is usually considered to be more interesting and pleasing to the eye so it is recommended to have an odd number of subjects in your image.
Diagonals
Diagonals are considered to be the most dynamic of implied lines in a photograph. They can create more activity and tension compared to horizontal and vertical lines.
Golden Mean/Golden Ratio
There is a common mathematical ratio found in nature that can be used to create natural looking compositions. This is the golden ratio, which is also known as the golden mean or the Greek letter phi. The golden ratio can be illustrated using a rectangle consisting of a square (the square sides are the same length as the shortest sides of the rectangle) and a smaller rectangle. You can create these squares inside the rectangles infinitely as shown in the image below.
Lastly, despite all this talk about the rules of composition, don’t forget the creativity in the process!
