A simple presentation on some of the rules of composition with examples from National Geographic.

1. Rules of Composition
How to take a great photo

2. Note
• The following examples are taken from
the National Geographic Traveler Photo
Contest submissions, 2012.
• Other entries can be found here.

3. • Strong point of interest
– The most important elements dominate the
photo and are forward in it; clutter is
eliminated.
A portrait of an old
Burmese woman;
Burma © Leon
Shkolnik

4. • Contrast
– Compose photographs with differences in
light, color and size.
Lava Kiss; Kalapana,
Hawaii © Dallas Nagata
White

5. • Asymmetry
– Photographs need not be symmetrical.
Asymmetry often works better. Place the
main object off center.
Taking Off From
Chelatna Lake;
Alaska © Janet
Kotwas

6. • Point of view
– Look at the subject from an unexpected
angle; maybe above or below the subject.
Spiral Down;
Vatican Museum
© Syaza
Mohammed
Shakharulain

7. • Rule of Thirds
– Think of your frame in thirds, horizontally
and vertically like a tic-tac-toe board. Put
the subject at the intersection of any two
lines.
Your life is
your own;
Colorado
Springs ©
Tareyn Kaster

8. • Break the Pattern
– Look at what is out of place. It adds interest.
The Rainbow
Man; Kuala
Lumpur, ©
Ahmad
Izzrafiq
Alias/National
Geographic
Traveler
Photo Contest

9. • Shoot verbs, not nouns
– Try the sports setting for action shots.
Holi
Explosion
Bombay/
Mumbai, ©
Giselle
Natassia/

10. • Framing
– Fill your frame, do not waste space. Look
for natural frames as well; you can crop if
necessary!
Fly By; near
Arctic Bay ©
Michelle
Valberg

11. • In the following photographs, discuss
which rules of composition apply to the
picture. Feel free to give any critiques as
well.
• Photos from the same source.

12. Sun-Kissed Faces; Cebu, the Philippines © Erwin Choachuy

13. Maiko; Kyoto, Japan © Seiya Bowen

14. Leading Lines; Sarawak, Malaysia © Sharkawi Che Din

15. Sunset over Bruges; Belgium © Calvin Lee

16. Blizka; The Buzludzha Monument, Bulgaria © Thomas

17. Dragon Wave; Ke’e beach, Kauai, Hawaii © Lace Andersen

18. Nomad woman milking a yak; Sichuan, China © John
Quintero