No matter if you’re a portrait, landscape, or product photographer, you have to keep composition in mind. I am always thinking about composition even if I don’t have my camera with me. It’s good to exercise your photography mind all the time.

Composition is simply the way the photo is put together or how your subject is positioned in the frame. A couple guidelines that help assemble a good composition include the Rule of Thirds, and the Golden Ratio.

Golden Ratio

The Golden Ratio is characterized by the spiral shown above. It is commonly found in nature which is why it is pleasing to our eyes. You can see the Golden Ratio on the face of a Barn Owl or the shell of a snail. Implementing the ratio into your photography makes it more interesting and intriguing to your audience.

Rule of Thirds

The Rule of Thirds is a similar guideline, but a little more simple to incorporate. All you need to do is imagine a grid like the one shown here and position your subject on one of the lines. This method is effective because it draws your audience into the image and gives them a direction on where to look.

If you look at this image, I positioned the subject in the middle of the frame instead. You can see how it’s just ever so slightly less interesting than the one that implements the Rule of Thirds.

These rules aren’t strict and you can absolutely deviate from them if you so choose. There are a lot of iconic photos that do not use these guidelines, but if you are new to photography and want to improve, start thinking more consciously about your composition.

Δ Abbi