Photography Compositional Tools

Compositional Tools
How to put together amazing photos

What are Compositional Tools?
Rules or ideas you use to assemble your photographs
This does not mean they are posed by you, the photographer
Instead you must learn to see these elements/tools through your lens and use them to our advantage!

Rule of Thirds
Think of putting a tic-tac-toe board on your photos
Place your subject on intersection points
Visually interesting when subject isn’t centered

Leading Lines
Using natural lines to draw viewers eye to subject
The lines should lead viewer right to the subject or main object in your photo

Dominant ForegroundContributing Background
Main subject is in the Foreground and that is where the viewers eye goes first
Secondary subject/content in the background contributes to the meaning or understanding of the photo

Pattern & Repetition
Look for repeating patterns and use them to your advantage
Filling the frame with repeating objects can be visually interesting

Breaking Pattern
Also look for places where your subject breaks up the pattern
Viewers eye will automatically go to the subject because it is different from the pattern

Selective Focus
Make your subject in focus, and the background blurry
This will draw the readers attention to your subject first

Balance
Not Symmetry, images don’t have to be exactly the same on both sides
Have secondary subject to balance out main subject
Not just subject on one side and empty space on the other

Framing
Using other elements in the photo to frame your subject naturally
This will help draw the viewers eye to your subject

Blur
Blur is a good way of showing action or motion
Subject is blurry
Everything else is in focus

Panning
Another good way to show action
Focus on and follow your subject as they move
you must be moving or following them with your lens
Subject will be in focus
Everything else will be blurry