This document discusses various compositional techniques for taking pictures including format, perspective, foreground interest, converging lines, leading lines, balance, rule of thirds, simplicity, and framing. It provides examples of landscape and portrait formats and explains techniques such as placing the subject near the rule of thirds intersection points, using foreground objects to frame the subject, and maintaining a simple background to focus attention on the main subject.

1. Composing a Picture

2. Format Format means whether a picture is portrait (vertical) or landscape (horizontal). Portrait Landscape

3. Perspective The perspective of a photo is the angle in which it is taken – eye-level, from below, bird’s-eye view, etc.

4. Foreground Interest Foreground interest is when your main focus is in the foreground of the picture with another object in the background.

5. Converging Lines In this photo, the lines of the corridor and the banister converge into a point.

6. Leading Lines Here, the gaps in the bench form lines that travel towards the bag.

7. Balance The balance here is between the tall building on the right and the sky on the left.

8. Rule of Thirds Here, the subject is on the border between two thirds.

9. Simplicity In this picture, the green background is bare, letting the bag attract the eye. The background isn’t cluttered, meaning the subject isn’t fighting for attention.

10. Framing The woman here is framed by the wooden post and the bin, while in the photo below, Louise is framed by the table legs.