Compostion

The composition of a photo is as important as the subject. Good composition can turn an ordinary subject into a compelling photo, and poor composition can change an interesting subject into a dull photo. While good photos are often made by breaking rules, there are a few common rules for good composition.

The Rule of Thirds

The most commonly cited rule of composition is the rule of thirds, which states that the most interesting areas of a photo are at the intersections of lines that are one third of the way in from the edges of the photo. Placing the interesting parts of the subject near these intersections draws the eye to the correct parts of the photo. The photo on the right is a good example. The horizon is about one third from the top, while the crest of the foreground rise is about on third of the way from the bottom. The small bush is about one third of the way from the left, and the lone tree is about a third of the way from the right.

Framing

The trick to good framing of a subject is to remove as much as possible that doesn't belong in the photo, while keeping everything that does. The photos below show the difference that filling the frame makes. The one on the right is cropped from the one on the left (which was shot without the benefit of a telephoto lens). It's much easier to see the curves of the road in the second photo, but cropping instead of shooting it closer originally has the disadvantage of reducing the resolution of the image. Although both images are fine for web use, the one on the right only looks good when printed at about 4" x 3" or less.

Original	Cropped

Aside from getting as close as possible to the subject by moving or using a telephoto lens, another aspect of good framing is removing objects from the background of an image. Either placing the subject before a plain background or blurring the background to throw it out of focus keeps the image from looking cluttered and the background from distracting from the subject.

Movement

In a well composed photograph, the eyes move around the photo instead of looking at the main subject and moving on. Movement can be accomplished by having one element of the photo balance or lead into another. In the photo on the left, the two flowers balance each other and form a triangle with the base. When looking at this photo, the eyes often start with the flower on the left (especially in cultures that read from left to right), move to the balancing flower on the right, drop down to the vase, and then return to the flower on the left.

Another technique that leads the eyes to move around the photo is perspective. Having a river receding into the distance or a row of benches leads the eyes to follow the lines created. In addition, comparing the size of the river at different points in the photo or the size of a near bench with a far bench gives the photo a sense of depth.

Negative Space

The space in the photo taken up by the subject is called "positive space". The remaining space is called "negative space" and is as important to composition as the subject. Negative space clarifies and emphasizes the subject by giving it something to stand out against.

Removing unnecessary objects from an images ensures good negative space around the subject and keeps the balance between the two kinds of spaces at a level that makes for an interesting photo.

In the image on the left, the positive space is the area covered by the reeds, their reflections and the floating lily pads. The negative space is the blue of the pool that intertwines with the subjects' spaces. Without the empty space, the photo would not have the same feeling of openness and serenity and the silhouette of the reeds would not be as visible.