The document outlines 12 photographic rules of composition and framing for teaching photography students. It provides examples and exercises for each rule, including balancing elements, avoiding mergers, framing a subject, using leading lines, incorporating texture, color and patterns, symmetry, cropping, odd numbers of subjects, headroom and leading room, and different positions of shots. Students would practice each technique, take example photos, and keep a photographic notebook to develop their skills in proper photographic composition and framing.

1. 10 PHOTOGRAPHIC RULES OF
COMPOSITION AND FRAMING
By Kristi Rippy-Sigman

2. I WOULD FIRST INTRODUCE THE
STUDENTS TO A PHOTOGRAPH
NOTEBOOK/JOURNAL/BINDER.
THE STUDENTS, AS THEY LEARN A NEW
TECHNIQUE WILL KEEP NOTES AS WELL
AS PHOTOGRAPHIC EXAMPLES THEY
LOCATE AS WELL AS EXAMPLES THEY
TAKE IN THEIR NOTEBOOK.

3. 1. BALANCING ELEMENTS
 Placing your main subject off center. It can leave a
void to one side if not “balanced” with another
element of lesser importance to fill the space.
 To teach the skill have student put main subject off
center and find or add another object to offset the
balance.
 Photo: Stephen taking picture of Challenger (not for
sure on this one)
 From:
http://www.photographymad.com/pages/view/10-
top-photography-composition-rules

5. 2. AVOID MERGERS
 Avoid taking a picture without careful consideration of
the background of your subject. We see things in three
dimensions but our photographs do not consider the
three dimensions of the background tree for example
and the subject.
 To teach the skill show students examples of merger
pictures and have a “merger” background set up so
students can take photos and see how it can impact a
photo.
 Photo: Stephen with Christmas tree.
 From:
http://photoinf.com/General/KODAK/guidelines_for_bett
er_photographic_composition_avoiding_mergers.html

7. 3. FRAMING
 Framing -- tactic of using natural surroundings to
add more meaning to your subject. It could be
anything such as bushes, trees, a window, or even
a doorway.
 To teach the skill after showing students several
examples take a nature walk and let the students
use cameras to practice the technique.
 Photo: picture of inside of iris, bulldog at
MS, burning of old HS.
 From:http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/photograph
y-the-rules-of-composition/

9. 4. LEADING LINE
 Used to lure the eye deeper into a picture or to an
important subject. Straight, curved, parallel, or
diagonal lines are all good at promoting interest.
 To teach the skills have students brainstorm and
write down 3 ideas and then locate and take the
photograph.
 Photo: Nature trail, Stephen on tracks, gun barrel
 From:http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/photograph
y-the-rules-of-composition/

11. 5. TEXTURE
 Connects the picture a person sees to what it feels like
to touch what is in the picture. Good idea when you are
taking pictures of rocks, walls, surfaces, someone’s
hands, or leaves.
 To teach the skill of texture let students explore different
textures blindfolded once their eyes are opened show
them pictures of different textured objects they touched
let them make the connection. Making that concrete
connection then have them to write about a picture they
want to take using a texture and why then let them
explore and take the picture to go with the story they
wrote.
 Photo: Snow? Barn door.
 From: http://www.fodors.com/travel-photography/article-
textures-53/

13. 6. COLORS
 Heart and emotion to your pictures. Can inspire
onlookers, used to add all sorts of accents and
effects, but be careful to not draw attention away
from the main subject.
 To teach have students photograph three different
colors of objects.
 Photo: Clover.
 From:http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/photograph
y-the-rules-of-composition/

15. 7. PATTERNS
 Keeping a pattern consistent and undermining a
pattern by putting something out of place. The
ultimate goal is to trick the eye into seeing more
than what is really present.
 To teach have students explore taking photographs
of various patterns in general then have them to
identify other students patterns and try for harder
patterns for the eye to see.
 Photo: Clover and dandelion.
 From: http://www.phototipworld.com/2010/12/basic-
rules-of-framing-captivating.html

16. Can you find the 4 leaf clover in the picture?

17. Now do you see it?

18. 8. SYMMETRY
 We are surrounded by symmetry both natural and
man-made. Can make the eye wander all across
an image, which is pleasing to the mind of your
viewer. It echoes your scene.
 To teach have students explore photographs and
locate photograph examples of symmetry and
explain why it would be considered in the category.
Then have students to locate and photograph
symmetry.
 Photo: US Capital also with leading lines to draw
your eye upward, also Air Force Academy
 From:http://www.phototipworld.com/2010/12/basic-
rules-of-framing-captivating.html

20. 9. CROPPING
 Often a photo will lack impact because the main
subject is so small it becomes lost among the
clutter of its surroundings. By cropping tight around
the subject you eliminate the background “noise”.
 To teach have students to practice with
photographs preloaded on computers of cropping.
 Photo: Butterfly, bee pictures.
 From:http://www.photographymad.com/pages/view/
10-top-photography-composition-rules

22. 10. RULE OF ODDS
 States that images are more visually appealing
when there is an odd number of subjects. Studies
have shown that people are actually more at ease
and comfortable when viewing imagery with odd
number of subjects.
 To teach have students practice by taking pictures
with odd number of items.
 Photo: Set of 3 dandelions.
 From: http://digital-photography-school.com/digital-
photography-composition-tips

24. 11. HEADROOM/LEADING ROOM
 Amount of room in the frame which is strategically
left empty. Leading room -- leaving room for object
that is moving into an area-don’t have it running off
screen. Head room is amount of space between
the top of the subjects head and top of the frame.
 To teach have the students practice taking pictures
of other students walking for leading room. Have
them practice taking photographs to demonstrate
head room of each other.
 Photo:
 From:http://www.mediacollege.com/video/cameera/t
utorial/01-framing.html

26. 12. POSITION OF SHOT
 Taking pictures at eye level, looking down the scene
(taking photographs of a person while looking down
upon them diminishes them), looking up the scene
(taking photographs of a person while looking upward
on them make them appear more imposing). Diagonal
photos -- important elements of the picture should be
placed along diagonals. Dutch Shot -- changing camera
angle -- not straight to capture photograph of subject.
 To teach have students locate examples online of the
different photograph elements then practice the
elements and write about the differences in the
elements.
 Photo: Iris pictures, Stephen, Sassy.
 From:http://www.mediacollege.com/video/camera/tutoria
l/01-framing.html

29. YOU TRY A FEW: WHAT ARE THESE?