The document discusses several techniques for improving photo composition, including following the Rule of Thirds for subject placement, using contrast in lighting and size/shape to add depth and drama, blurring backgrounds to isolate subjects, paying attention to helpful details, opting for simplicity over complexity, and varying perspectives by changing the camera position. Mastering these techniques can help photographers direct viewer attention and tell more compelling visual stories through their photos.

3. This is another illustration/painting technique that photographers must master (so
it can then be broken). The Rule of Thirds divides the canvas/film frame with three
vertical lines and three horizontal lines. The four intersecting vertices are the key
points to remember, as studies have demonstrated that the human eye goes to
those points first when looking at a framed object like a painting, sketch, or
photograph. Therefore, when you are composing the photograph, placing the key
elements at one of those four points enhances the dynamics of your photo. Take a
look at the photo above, and imagine how much less interesting it would be if the
little girl was placed smack dab in the middle of the photo. The background would
seem like an afterthought, not a really part of the composition as it is now (the
mischief on the little girl’s face is amplified by the slight understanding of the
background… a carnival perhaps?).
The Rule of Thirds

4. RuleOfThird

6. Golden Rule

7. Focus the Viewer's Attention
To raise the quality of your photos you must make sure that the main subject
is of heightened interest and is effectively positioned in the frame to draw the
viewer’s eye exactly to where you want it, and emphasize that subject. This
can be done in a variety of creative, artistic and symbolic ways. Size, color,
shape and how the object contrasts with the rest of the elements in the image
(foreground, middle ground and background) are ways to isolate and direct
attention to the subject.

8. Balance, Layout, Arrangement
The layout of your images influences how visually effective or stimulating your photos will be. When composing
your photo, seek a balance in the color, the lighting, and object placement within the frame’s constricting
rectangle. When we talk about “balance” in a photograph, we mean a composition that has arranged the visual
elements in such a way as to be pleasing to the eye. We’ve all seen group photos (of friends and family) in which
the subjects are stuck in the center of the frame with no apparent design other than to fit everyone in the frame,
and without regard to effectively filling the frame either. This typical shot lacks interesting composition in the
layout, and there’s probably way too much empty space above their heads as well. You seek to achieve interesting
composition and perspective by being creative with where and how you physically position the camera, such that
the composition has a unique perspective, or view of the world. For example, if you put the camera at the level of
the floor when your pet or baby approaches the camera, that photo has a much more interesting composition and
perspective than if the camera were held at full height while looking down at the pet or baby. Like many art
concepts, perspective and composition is either instinctual, or it can be developed through practice and study.

9. Crop and Clip!
One of the beauties of digital photography is the relative ease with which you can do
post-processing, something formerly reserved for the darkroom. With Photoshop you
can crop an image for better aesthetic results. Cropping is the process of re-framing a
photograph to enhance the composition. We’ve all seen (or perhaps taken) photos
where there are distracting elements at the edges of frame, or perhaps intruding on the
secondary areas of the main subject. You can crop the photo to eliminate these
unwanted elements. In this photo, you can see that the original had too much headroom
and another photographer was standing in the photo! By cropping the frame, one zeros
in on the main subject (the family). Eliminate the photographer from the photo, but still
keep recognizable elements in view to inform the viewer as where the photo was taken.

10. Use Contrast
Contrast -- in lighting -- is another way to add dimension to an image. Lighting contrast is the difference between the
lightest light and the darkest dark in a photograph. Manipulating this element, works wonders to extend the depth,
the three-dimensional quality of a photograph - one of the great feats and benchmarks for your photographs. You can
also use contrast in shape & size to affect the intricacy of your photos; contrasting geometry inherently creates that
dramatic tension that we were talking about earlier. You feel like there is more to “the story”. The photo of the Eiffel
Tower above employs contrast in lighting and size to increase the effectiveness of this photo. The man in silhouette
appears to be nearly as tall as the Eiffel Tower, and the complex pattern of the Eiffel Tower (more pronounced in
silhouette) seems to be etched into the pulsating red sunset sky. Imagine how lackluster this image would be if it was
taken at noon.

11. Blur the Background
A photograph can have a blurry foreground or background, so this special optical
property can enhance the composition of your photos by further isolating the main
subject from everything else around it. You can blur the background or foreground by
having command over the depth of field, which is controlled by the lens’ aperture, focal
length and object’s distance from the lens. Mastering this skill is critical for more
interesting images. The wider apertures (f/1.4 to f/2.8) effectively reduce DOF, as do
longer focal length lenses.

12. Pay Attention to Details
As with everything else in life, the details need to be properly addressed and emphasized in
photography. Every detail can do something different to your photograph or create a new
meaning. A photo of a flower is much different when you can see the way the morning dew
plays against the texture of the flower’s petals. When doing a portrait, use lighting to bring
out the heavy laugh lines and crow’s feet on a person’s face. Character in a face makes an
interesting portrait. If you think about it, it is the details of objects and people that delve
beneath the surface and tell more of a story, more about that singular moment in time.

13. Opt for Simplicity
The concept of less is more lends itself effectively to just about everything, and
photography is no exception. Overly complicated or complex photographic composition
has the same problem as compound complicated sentences in writing, which make it
difficult for the audience to understand and appreciate the idea that is trying to be
conveyed. Simple in this context doesn’t mean simplistic, but rather lacking unnecessary
elements that confuse or are redundant. In photography creating uncluttered, but distinct
compositions simplify yet enhance the delivery of the idea. The mind’s eye of the viewer
can do all the heavy lifting.
Differences in Perspective
Perspective is how the photographer views the objects in the camera frame via the
placement of the camera. For example, the same subject will have different perspectives
when photographed at eye level, from above or from ground level. By varying the
perspective you change the placement of the horizon line and you influence your
audience’s perception of the scene. For example, if you placed the camera on the ground
level to take a full-body photo of someone, and angled the camera up to fill the frame
with your subject, he or she will appear much more menacing, powerful and larger than
if the camera was held at eye-level. Another way to look at differeing perspective is to
utilize camera positions that are atypical to what the human eye sees. Bird’s eye views or
extremly high angles change the dynamics of your composition.