Every Compositional Rule (the short version)

A handful of composition rules – the rule of thirds, leading lines, framing, balance and simplicity – will transform how your photos look. They are guidelines for arranging a scene so the eye knows where to go. Here are the composition rules every photographer should know.

Is it possible to speed teach a new photographer about the rules of photography composition in less than 500 words? I honestly, don’t know, but we are going to give it a damn good try!

Firstly, this intro doesn’t count, I’m not that brave! I’ll let you know when our word count begins.

So why I am doing this? Well it’s not to oversimplify the rules of photography and somehow diminish their importance. Instead, I hope it’s a little refresher to those photographers who just want a quick reminder on different ways to compose their shots.

And if you want to see if we actually kept ourselves in check then feel free to copy and paste the following text into a word counter.

Begin the count…

1. Rule of Thirds

Split your composition into a grid. See it as 9 areas using 2 horizontal and vertical lines. Place different elements into each row or column. Important subjects sit on the cross points.

2. Leading Lines

Use strong visual lines to force the attention of your audience through your image or towards a subject. Compositional lines can be straight or curved. Consecutive lines can increase the impact.

3. Balancing Elements

When using negative space in compositional photography, place a small sub-subject in the void opposite to your main subject. This should be an item/feature that adds more backstory to the image.

4. Golden Spiral

Based on the mathematics of Fibonacci, the Golden Spiral or Golden Ratio is an uncommon photography composition. Based on the ratio 1:1.618 it is a complex series of areas larger than the one before. It creates a through line which charts a perfect yet invisible compositional curve. 

5. Reflections

By using water, glass, mirrors and highly polished surfaces, reflections offer a double view on a single subject. Used most commonly in portraits and street photography, reflections offer an abstract approach by having one inverted view.

Read more about reflection photography here.

6. Frame within a Frame

Aim to create another frame within your photography composition that encapsulates your main subject. Think about archways, doorways, tunnels, picture frames or windows for example. The more edges to your frame you can apply, the stronger the composition will be.

Read more about framing here.

7. Patterns

Strong patterns make for a pleasing composition. Think about using contrasting patterns between foreground and background as well as matching patterns working in opposite directions for a contrasting effect. Use complementary colours to achieve a bolder finish.

8. Cropping

Post-production cropping of your photograph can enhance the final composition of your image. If you aren’t able to achieve your perfect shot in camera then tweak it afterwards by removing those distracting elements. Try to keep to set ratios of 1:1, 3:2, 5:4 or 16:9 to make the crop cleaner and comfortable on the eye.

9. Symmetry

A frame split evenly, either side matching the other, is one of the few times putting your subject dead centre is the right answer. Reflections in still water, doorways, faces shot square on. The eye reads symmetry as order, so it works when the subject is formal and it jars when it is not – which you can use deliberately by breaking it with one small thing out of place.

10. Fill the Frame

Get closer than feels comfortable and let the subject run out of the edges. It removes every distraction at once, forces the viewer to look at what you looked at, and is the quickest fix there is for a photograph that feels weak but you cannot say why.

11. Simplify

Most weak photographs have too much in them rather than too little. Before you press the shutter, look round the edges of the frame and ask what could come out: a step to the left, a lower angle or a longer lens will usually lose the bin, the sign or the bright patch of sky that is competing with your subject.

12. Foreground Interest

A landscape with nothing in the first few feet of the frame looks flat, because the eye has nowhere to start. Put something close – rocks, grass, a gate, a puddle – and the picture acquires depth, with the foreground leading into the middle distance and on to the horizon.

Composition Photography: Final Words

That is all twelve, each in a paragraph. It started as a 500-word challenge and grew, because leaving out symmetry, filling the frame, simplicity and foreground interest would have made it a shorter list rather than a better one.

Let me know if there are any other areas of photography you would like covering this way.

Get in touch with me on iPhotography as well as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube.

For more, read our guide to the rule of thirds.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the basic rules of composition?

The most useful are the rule of thirds, leading lines, framing, balance, symmetry, filling the frame, simplicity, and using foreground interest. They guide where to place elements so the image reads clearly.

What is the most important composition rule?

The rule of thirds is the most widely used starting point, placing key elements off-centre for balance. But simplicity (removing clutter) and a clear subject arguably matter just as much.

Should I always follow composition rules?

No, they are guidelines, not laws. Learn them first so you compose deliberately, then break them when the scene calls for it. Knowing the rules makes breaking them effective rather than accidental.

How do I improve my composition?

Slow down, decide on your subject, remove distractions, and use guidelines like thirds and leading lines. Move your feet and change angle, composition is as much about position as the camera.

What is the rule of thirds?

Dividing the frame into a 3×3 grid and placing key elements along the lines or intersections, rather than dead centre, for a more balanced, dynamic image.