Masterclass in Photo Composition: Framing Your Shot

March 6th, 2024

What captures your eye as you're scrolling through a feed? Is it the subject that pops out from a blurred background? The beautiful background scenery with an out of focus and grainy subject? Or maybe it's the entire picture together?

All of the parts that make a photograph are carefully crafted and later selected in editing to make the final product. This is the art of composition.

As a photographer, mastering the art of composition is essential to creating visually appealing and impactful images. Composition is the arrangement of elements within a frame to create a balanced and harmonious image. Developing an eye for photo composition takes practice and experimentation, and with my guide below, you can enhance your photography skills and take your images to the next level.

Here are some tips to help you develop an eye for photo composition with examples from my images!

1.Study the basics

Familiarize yourself with the rules of composition, such as the rule of thirds, leading lines, symmetry, and framing. These techniques will help you understand how to arrange elements within your frame to create chefs kiss images.

The rule of thirds: you know that iPhone setting with the 9 squares on your screen? This is a feature that helps you follow the rule of thirds, which says that photos should be equally divided into 9 parts.

It's not a science or math, I swear! You can naturally develop this eye for the rule of thirds. Again, it's a guideline - I encourage you to push boundaries and try off-setting your subject or switching it up for a different effect. Rule of thirds is a basic but rudimentary guideline that will help you develop your OWN eye for composition.

The next guideline is leading lines. Leading lines is when the image highlights a subject by framing an object with lines pointing in that direction.

Below, you see the road leading towards the mountains in the distance. The road leads your eyes towards what you want the viewer to see! Other examples include a staircase leading to a dog at the top, a bridge leading towards a city, and a river leading to a sunset.

Next is symmetry and framing. Symmetry is exactly as it sounds - mirrored images or images with parallelism are easy to create harmony in the entire photo. It's a simple way to make the photo clean and stunning.

There are many types of symmetry though (throwing it back to the good old geometry days) - horizontal, vertical, and radial. You can achieve partial symmetry if total symmetry is not doable, for example, a person in frame on the left balanced out by a bush or a building on the right. It's not meant to be robotic or perfect (although there is artificial symmetry with AI and whatnot). In fact, it'll never be perfect!

Below, I have an example of two models - there is a bit of rock on both sides of each model, they are centered, and in their posing, one is , the other has her arm down and out to the side. There is a balance in the posing, the colors surrounding them, and the elements of the scenery in the background.

Try these out as a guideline and be creative with it. Push the boundaries and even try asymmetry to figure out what you like best.

And framing is exactly what it sounds like. Setting up the shot in some sort of frame - like looking through a car window with a face in the frame of the window, or like in this picture below, framing the model on the beach with the fence post. You can also see a variety of composition techniques in this photo, like the rule of thirds (1/3 ocean, 1/3 beach picnic, 1/3 fence frame).

2.Experiment with different perspectives

Don't be afraid to try different angles and viewpoints when composing your shots. Get low to the ground or shoot from above to add an interesting perspective to your images.

3.Pay attention to light and shadows

Light plays a crucial role in composition, so pay attention to how light and shadow interact with your subjects. Experiment with different lighting conditions to create mood and drama in your images. Sometimes, you just see the prettiest light lighting your subject or some random object, and it just draws you in. Play with lighting to identify what elements will look best in what part of the photo (think back to the rule of thirds).

4.Simplify your compositions

Sometimes less is more when it comes to composition. Try to eliminate distracting elements from your frame and focus on your main subject to create a strong and impactful image.

5.Practice, practice, practice

The more you shoot, the better you'll become at composition. Take your camera with you everywhere and practice composing shots in different settings and situations. It also helps to look at the work of other photographers and ask for mentorship. Even looking at your own photos, both past and present, can give you inspiration and insight into how to better compose your shots. Analyze what works well in famous photographer's images and try to incorporate similar techniques into your own work.

6.Seek feedback

Share your images with other photographers and ask for feedback on your photos. Constructive criticism can help you identify areas for improvement and guide you in developing your eye for composition. There are so many Facebook groups and forums on composition where people will give feedback, so try joining one of those to start!

Ultimately, developing an eye for photo composition takes time and dedication, but with practice and an open mind, you can hone your skills and create powerful and visually stunning images. Keep experimenting, pushing your creative boundaries, and challenging yourself to think outside the box, and you'll soon see improvements in your photography compositions.