2. • All of my pictures are taken using my phone. I am not a
photographer, just a guy with a camera phone.
• In most of these pictures, I am not going to restate the
rules because we can find them written everywhere.
Instead, I will try to show how I used these rules to take a
shot, and maybe inspire you to take a better shot.
3. Whether you focus on
a tiny insect or bring
the camera too close
to the subject, the
main objective is to fill
the frame with the
subject.
There are so many
things in life that we
don’t pay attention to.
Use this rule to bring
them to life.
4.
5. Simple is sometimes
better. Don’t put too
much into your picture
because your subject
might get lost in the
picture.
This picture here is an
example of how one
fork can fill the space
in the picture.
6. Showing a subject
from below makes
them look very
powerful and
dominant. This
technique is used a lot
in movies. It works
with video and
pictures the same
way.
7. Showing a subject
from above makes
them look weak and
helpless.
Including other rules
in one picture give an
enhanced effect.
8. Using objects in the
foreground as frames
is a great way to
enhance the
background.
This is where I went
to school in Morocco.
14. Unlike our eyes, the
camera takes flat
images. So creating
depth can take so
many shapes but the
goal is the same
(giving a simulation of
what the scene looks
like in real life) In this
picture the trees in the
foreground, middle,
and background give
that impression.
17. Divide your picture
into thirds, both
horizontally and
vertically.
This is an example of
horizontal division.
The clouds take up 2/3
of the picture leaving
1/3 to the trees to
complete the image. If
I took the clouds only
it would be hard to
distinguish what it is.
18. This is an example of
the vertical division.
Give space to your
subject
The subject here fills
2/3 of the space with
a 1/3 free nose
space.
19. Using lines in a
photograph creates
the feel of movement.
Naturally our eyes
follow the line to the
horizon.
Use this technique to
give the feel of going
towards a goal.
20.
21.
22.
23. Depending on where
objects are located in
a photograph, the
human eye can be
messed with through
illusion.
In this picture, my
hand is in the
foreground of the
picture holding
nothing, but the bottle
is carefully placed to
create the illusion.
24.
25. • Other shots that don’t really follow the rules, can be very
artistic.
• Sometimes breaking the rule is the whole point of the
picture.
27. This is the opposite of
simplicity. Putting too
much information in the
picture is sometimes a
bad idea. But there are
times when you have
to take the shot. Like in
here where the orange
soldiers are invading
the yellow. (My
imagination is a little
crazy sometimes)
28. This one is a special
kind of “a Frame
within a Frame”.
Because the subject
itself makes up the
frame.
29. Light is the most
important aspect in a
photograph.
Sometimes it is fun to
just omit everything
else, and leave only
the light.
(This is Riley, he is
my model in my
many of my shots)
30. If you shoot the
source of the light,
make sure to avoid
this.
31. But instead use
something like this.
Don’t make the light
blind the view, make
it part of the
elements in the
picture.
