28 Composi on Techniques That Will Improve Your Photos

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Updated Feb 15, 2023
By: Barry O Carroll

Photography Composi on Defined

First of all, we have to define what is meant by ‘composi on’. Composi on refers to the way the various
elements in a scene are arranged within the frame. As I’ve already men oned, these are not hard and
fast rules but guidelines. That said, many of them have been used in art for thousands of years and they
really do help achieve more a rac ve composi ons. I find that I usually have one or more of these
guidelines in the back of my mind as I’m se ng up a shot.

#1. Rule of Thirds

So I’ve just told you that there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to composi on and then the first
thing I write about is the ‘rule’ of thirds. In my defense, I didn’t come up with the name. The rule of
thirds is very simple. You divide the frame into 9 equal rectangles, 3 across and 3 down as illustrated
below. Many camera manufacturers have actually included the capability to display this grid in live view
mode. Check your camera’s manual to see how to turn on this feature.
The idea is to place the important element(s) of the scene along one or more of the lines or where the
lines intersect. We have a natural tendency to want to place the main subject in the middle. Placing it
off-center using the rule of thirds will more o en than not lead to a more a rac ve composi on.

In this photo, I’ve placed the horizon roughly along the bo om third of the frame and the biggest and
closest trees along the line to the right. The photo wouldn’t have the same impact if the larger trees had
been placed in the center of the frame.
In this photo of the Old Town Square in Prague, I’ve placed the horizon along the top third of the frame.
Most of the buildings sit in the middle third and the square itself occupies the bo om third of the frame.
The spires of the church are placed near the horizontal line to the right of the frame.

In this street photograph taken in my home city of Dublin, I’ve placed the woman in red walking along
the street on the point where two of the grid lines intersect. The cobbled street roughly occupies the
bo om third of the frame; the building ground floors frontages occupy the middle third and the upper
floors of the buildings occupy the top third. Having the rule of thirds grid ac vated in live view on my
camera really helped me with composi on when I took this photograph.
#2. Centered Composi on and Symmetry
Now that I’ve told you not to place the main subject in the center of the frame, I’m going to tell you to
do the exact opposite! There are mes when placing a subject in the center of the frame works really
well. Symmetrical scenes are perfect for a centered composi on. They look really well in square frames
too.

This photo of the Ha’penny Bridge in my home city of Dublin was the perfect candidate for a centered
composi on. Architecture and roads o en make great subjects for centered composi ons.

Scenes containing reflec ons are also a great opportunity to use symmetry in your composi on. In this
photo, I’ve actually used a mix of the rule of thirds and symmetry to compose the scene. The tree is
posi oned off-center to the right of the frame but the perfectly s ll water of the lake provides the
symmetry. You can o en combine several composi on guidelines in a single photograph.
Square cropped frames can be a suitable op on for centered composi ons. A square is completely
symmetrical a er all. I actually studied French and history at this university over twenty years ago. I had
very li le me for photography though as I was just so busy drinking beer discussing eighteenth-century
French poetry and the merits of enlightened absolu sm in Prussia with my fellow scholars.
Symmetry doesn’t always have to be ver cal in nature. Reflec ons can create the perfect opportunity to
capture some horizontal symmetry. Early morning and evening mes o en present good opportuni es
for reflec ons like this as the air cools and the wind drops.
#3. Foreground Interest and Depth

Including some foreground interest in a scene is a great way of adding a sense of depth to
the scene. Photographs are 2D by nature. Including foreground interest in the frame is one
of a number of techniques to give the scene a more 3D feel.

In this photograph of a waterfall in The Netherlands, the rocks in the river provided a perfect source of
foreground interest.

#4. Frame Within the Frame

Including a ‘frame within the frame’ is another e ective way of portraying depth in a scene.
Look for elements such as windows, arches, or overhanging branches to frame the scene
with. The ‘frame’ does not necessarily have to surround the entire scene to be e ective.

In the photo above taken on St Mark’s Square in Venice, I used the archway to frame St Marks Basilica
and the Campanile at the far end of the piazza. The use of scenery viewed through arches was a
common feature of Renaissance pain ng as a way of portraying depth. As you can see, the square was
completely empty when I took the shot. This is one of the benefits of ge ng up at 5 am. Early morning is
one of my favorite mes to get out and about with the camera.
Natural features such as trees can also be used to frame a scene. In this case, the Autumn trees frame
the stone bridge. In this case, I also used a centered composi on with the bridge in the middle of the
frame. Note that the frame doesn’t necessarily have to completely surround your subject. It could be
trees on either side, as is the case here.

Using a ‘frame within a frame’ presents a great opportunity to use your surroundings to be crea ve in
your composi ons.
#5. Leading Lines
Leading lines help lead the viewer through the image and focus a en on on important elements.
Anything from paths, walls, or pa erns can be used as leading lines. Take a look at the examples below.

In this photo of the Eiffel Tower, I used the pa erns on the paving stones as leading lines. The lines on
the ground all lead the viewer to the Eiffel Tower in the distance. You’ll also no ce that I used a centered
composi on for this scene. The symmetry of my surroundings made this type of composi on work well.
Leading lines do not necessarily have to be straight as illustrated by the picture above. In fact, curved
lines can be very a rac ve composi onal features. In this case, the path leads the viewer to the right of
the frame before swinging in to the le towards the tree. I also made use of the rule of thirds when
composing the shot.

#6. Pa erns and Textures

Human beings are naturally a racted to pa erns. They are visually a rac ve and suggest harmony.
Pa erns can be man-made like a series of arches or natural like the petals on a flower. Incorpora ng
pa erns into your photographs is always a good way to create a pleasing composi on. Less regular
textures can also be very pleasing to the eye.
The photo above was taken in Tunisia. I’ve used the pa ern in the paving stones to lead the eye to the
domed building. The building itself incorporates a pa ern in the form of a series of arches. The domed
roof also compliments the rounded arches below.
In this second photo, also shot in Tunisia, I really liked the texture of the stonework on the ground. This is
less regular than the pa ern in the first photo but the play of light and shadow on the surface is very
pleasant. There are also interes ng textures to be on the walls and roof of the passage. You may also
have no ced that the arch creates a ‘frame within a frame’ around the man and cafe on the other side of
the archway.
#7. Diagonals and Triangles
It is o en said that triangles and diagonals add ‘dynamic tension’ to a photo. My mother-in-law also does
an excellent job of adding tension to any scene. What do we mean by ‘dynamic tension’ though? This
can be a tricky one to explain and can seem a bit preten ous. Look at it this way, horizontal lines and
ver cal lines suggest stability. If you see a person standing on a level horizontal surface, he will appear to
be pre y stable unless he’s stumbling out of a pub at 2 am. Put this man on a sloping surface and he’ll
seem less stable. This creates a certain level of tension visually. We are not so used to diagonals in our
everyday life. They subconsciously suggest instability. Incorpora ng triangles and diagonals into our
photos can help create this sense of ‘dynamic tension’.

Incorpora ng triangles into a scene is a par cularly good effec ve way of introducing dynamic tension.
Triangles can be actual triangle-shaped objects or implied triangles. I’ll explain this in more detail in a
moment.

This picture of the Samuel Becke Bridge in Dublin incorporates plenty of triangles and diagonals into
the scene. The bridge itself is an actual triangle (It’s actually supposed to represent a Cel c Harp on its
side). There are also several ‘implied’ triangles in the scene. No ce how the leading lines on the right of
the frame are all diagonal and form triangles that all meet at the same point. These are ‘implied
triangles’. Having diagonals going off in different direc ons adds a lot of ‘dynamic tension’ to the scene.
Once again you can see how I have combined two techniques to compose the image: leading lines and
diagonals.

#8. Break the Pa ern

Some mes using a pa ern in your composi on means breaking the pa ern. This was actually suggested
to me in one of the comments of the last ar cle I wrote on composi on.
I’ve already said that some “rules” are there to be broken. The same goes for pa erns. Breaking the
pa ern can really make your photograph pop. In this case, the single red candle really stands out among
the vanilla-colored ones. It’s also slightly taller than the others which is another way of breaking the
pa ern. No ce how the photograph s ll follows the rule of thirds.

#9. Rule of Odds

In the world of photography, there are certainly plenty of ‘odds’ but the ‘rule of odds’ is something
different en rely. The rule suggests that an image is more visually appealing if there are an odd number
of subjects. The theory proposes that an even number of elements in a scene is distrac ng as the viewer
is not sure which one to focus his or her a en on on. An odd number of elements is seen as more
natural and easier on the eye. To be honest, I think there are plenty of cases where this is not the case
but it is certainly applicable in certain situa ons. What if you have four children? How do you decide
which one to leave out of the shot? Personally, I’d go by future earning poten al.
The photo above is an example of the rule of odds. I deliberately framed the scene to include three
arches. I think that two arches would not have worked as well and may have divided the viewer’s
a en on. It also so happened that there were three people in the scene. This composi on also makes
use of pa erns and ‘frames within a frame’.

#10. Fill the Frame

Filling the frame with your subject, leaving li le or no space around it can be very effec ve in certain
situa ons. It helps focus the viewer completely on the main subject without any distrac ons. It also
allows the viewer to explore the detail of the subject that wouldn’t be possible if photographed from
further away. Filling the frame o en involves ge ng in so close that you may actually crop out elements
of your subject. In many cases, this can lead to a very original and interes ng composi on.
In the photo of my pet cat on the le , you’ll no ce that I filled the frame completely with his face, even
cropping out the edges of his head and mane. This allows the viewer to really focus on details such as
the eyes or the textures in his fur. You may also no ce that I used the rule of thirds in this composi on.
He is a lovely pet but you should see the state of our furniture. He also loves children but he couldn’t eat
a whole one.
In this photo, Notre Dame Cathedral and the adjacent buildings almost completely fill the frame. This
allows us to explore details such as the flying bu resses, the stonework, or the ornate balconies on the
building next door. It is a scene where the eye wanders around the frame.

11. Leave Nega ve Space

Once again, I am going to completely contradict myself! In the last guideline, I told you that filling the
frame works well as a composi onal tool. Now I’m going to tell you that doing the exact opposite works
well too. Leaving a lot of empty or ‘nega ve’ space around your subject can be very a rac ve. It creates
a sense of simplicity and minimalism. Like filling the frame, it helps the viewer focus on the main subject
without distrac ons.
This photo of a giant statue of the Hindu god Shiva in Mauri us is a good example of using nega ve
space. The statue is obviously the main subject but I have le plenty of space filled only by sky around it.
This focuses our a en on on the statue itself while giving the main subject ‘space to breath’ so to speak.
The composi on also creates a sense of simplicity. There is nothing complicated about the scene. It is
the statue surrounded by sky, that is all. I also used the rule of thirds to place the statue to the right of
the frame.
Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland
This simple landscape photograph makes use of nega ve space. The misty morning actually helped
obscure some of the background elements making the tree on the le really stand out with li le to
distract from it.

#12. Simplicity and Minimalism

In the last guideline, we saw how leaving nega ve space around the main subject can create a sense of
simplicity and minimalism. Simplicity itself can be a powerful composi onal tool. It is o en said that ‘less
is more’. Simplicity o en means taking photos with uncomplicated backgrounds that don’t distract from
the main subject. You can also create a simple composi on by zooming in on part of your subject and
focusing on a par cular detail.
In this first photo, I zoomed in on some water droplets on a leaf in a garden. It’s such a simple subject
but is also very beau ful because of its simplicity. A good macro lens can be a very useful tool for
crea ng these types of photos.
In this second photograph of a tree at dawn, I made use of a very simple and unclu ered background to
focus a en on on the tree. This photo makes use of ‘nega ve space’ to create a sense of simplicity and
minimalism. I’ve also used the rule of thirds and leading lines in the composi on.

#13. Use Black and White

Conver ng a photograph to black and white can be a very effec ve method of simplifying your
composi on. In some ways, color itself can be a distrac on. Black and white photography o en allows us
to focus on the textures, light, shadows, and shapes in the frame. Take a look at the following
photographs taken along the Copper Coast in County Waterford, Ireland.
Copper Coast, County Waterford – Colour Version
The light in this version actually isn’t all that interes ng. It’s that harsh day me light that is rarely
conducive to spectacular landscape photography. The loca on itself has poten al though. Let’s see what
happens when we convert this image to black and white.

Copper Coast, County Waterford – Black and White Version

With the “distrac on” of color removed, I think this becomes a much stronger shot. That harsh light now
helps to highlight the textures on the tree, in the grass, on the cliffs, and in the sky. The bold shape of the
tree stands out against the sky and the sca ered clouds in the sky look more drama c. The color was
hiding much of this in my opinion. Not every shot is suited to a black and white conversion but in this
case, I think it was.

#14. Isolate the Subject

Using a shallow depth of field to isolate your subject is a very effec ve way of simplifying your
composi on. By using a wide aperture, you can blur the background that might otherwise distract from
your main subject. This is a par cularly useful technique for shoo ng portraits. You can learn more about
how to use different aperture se ngs in my tutorial on Aperture, Shu er Speed and ISO.

In this photo of a cat hiding in a box, I set an aperture of f/3.5 which is very wide and results in a very
blurred background. This focuses a en on on the cat as the blurred background is now less distrac ng.
This technique is an excellent way to simplify a composi on. You may have no ced that I also used this
technique to focus a en on on the water droplets on the leaf in the last guideline.

#15. Shoot from Below

The vast majority of photographs are taken from head height. That’s not very high in my case as my
experience with the borrowed Dutch bicycle demonstrates. Ge ng down low or up high can be a great
way of capturing a point of view that is more dynamic or interes ng. I have o en seen wildlife
photographers lying on their bellies to get that special shot.
Eiffel Tower, Paris
I took this photograph of the Eiffel Tower while standing at its base and poin ng my camera up. This was
also a perfect occasion to use a centered composi on due to the symmetrical subject. It means I have a
photo that’s a li le different from the majority of shots of this Parisian landmark.
Some mes finding that perfect point of view means ge ng your feet wet. Above is a shot I took while
standing in a stream in Ballyhoura, County Limerick, Ireland. I actually had to wait quite a while for a rain
shower to pass and the sun to come back out. It was worth it though to get low down and capture the
mo on of the water as if flowed over the rocks. I needed several hot whiskeys a er to warm myself back
up though.
#16. Shoot from Above
Whenever I visit a new loca on, I like to get high at least once. I also like to take photographs from a high
vantage point at some point during my trip. Before my trip, I always research the possibili es to take
some bird’s eye photos. Most ci es and towns usually have a high building or bell tower you can climb to
get some shots from high above your surroundings. Just make sure they allow tripods if you plan to bring
one.
Markt from the Belfry of Bruges
I had to work extremely hard to get this shot of Markt Square in the heart of Bruges. For a start, I had to
lug my camera gear up 366 narrow steps to the top of the Belfry. Now thankfully I’m in shape. Well I
mean, round is a shape, isn’t it? As I wheezed my way to the summit, I think some of my fellow climbers
were worried I might require medical a en on. I actually met a guy whose office was right at the top of
the belfry. He told me that he made the trip up and down the tower several mes a day in a suit and
dress shoes. Whereas I looked like I’d just climbed Everest; he barely broke a sweat.
Paris from the Montparnasse Tower. This shot of Paris at night was taken from the roof of the
Montparnasse Tower in the 15th Arrondissement. Whenever I visit a city, I always try to see if there are
any buildings with viewing pla orms to allow me to photograph the city from above. Ge ng high up
gives you the chance to capture spectacular views of a city, especially at night.
When you think of places in Paris to climb up high, you immediately think of the Eiffel Tower. The
problem with shoo ng from the top of Paris’ most iconic structure is that you can’t include the Eiffel
Tower in your shot! This is why the viewing deck of the Montparnasse Tower in the south of the city is a
much be er loca on to capture a bird’s eye view of the City of Light. The tower itself is a pre y ugly
building, to be honest, so being on top of it has the added advantage that you can’t see it while you are
up there.
This photograph was taken just a er sunset while there was s ll some color in the sky. I waited for the
“decisive moment” the Eiffel Tower sparkled as it does for one minute on the hour, every hour
throughout the night. If I had waited another hour, however, the beau ful purple tones in the sky would
have been gone.
#17. Look for Par cular Color Combina ons
The use of color itself is an o en overlooked composi onal tool. Color theory is something that graphic
designers, fashion designers, and interior designers are all very familiar with. Certain color combina ons
complement each other well and can be visually very striking.

Take a look at the color wheel above. You can see that the colors are arranged logically in the segments
of a circle. Colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel are said to be ‘complimentary colors’.
As photographers, we can look for scenes that incorporate complementary colors as a way of crea ng
a rac ve and striking composi ons.
Have you ever no ced how many movie posters have blue and yellow/orange color schemes? This is
done quite deliberately to create eye-catching adverts.
Customs House, Dublin.
I made use of the striking blue/yellow color combina on myself in this photograph of the Custom House
in Dublin. The yellow hues of the illuminated building contrast beau fully with the deep blue of the blue
hour sky.

Stephen’s Green, Dublin.

Red and blue are also complimentary colors on the color wheel. The Stephen’s Green Shopping Center in
Dublin was lit up red for Christmas last year. This was very striking against the deep blue of the early
night sky. I love photographing ci es during blue hour. The deep blue of the sky at this me provides a
very a rac ve backdrop to the city’s architecture and lights. The pure black of the late-night sky is not as
striking and contrasts too sharply with the lights of the city.
#18. Rule of Space
The rule of space relates to the direc on the subject(s) in your photo is facing or moving towards. If you
are taking a photo of a moving car, for example, there should be more space le in the frame in front of
the car than behind it. This implies that there is space in the frame for the car to move into. Take a look
at the example of the boat below.

In this photo, the boat is placed on the le -hand side of the frame as it moves from le to right. No ce
how there is a lot more space for the boat to move into in front of its direc on of mo on (to the right)
than behind it. We can mentally imagine the boat moving into this space as it sails along the river. We
also have a subconscious tenancy to look forward to where an object is heading. If the boat was right up
at the right-hand side of the frame, this would lead us out of the photograph!
This can also be used for pictures of people. The rule of space suggests that the subject should be
looking or facing into the frame rather than out of it. Take a look at the musician in the photo above. I
composed the shot with him si ng on the le -hand side of the frame. He is facing to the right (as we
look at him) into the area of space between him and the right-hand edge of the frame. If he had been
facing the other way, he would be looking out of the frame and this would look odd. By looking into the
space in the frame, he leads our eye past the man leaning on the railing and to the couple dancing on
the right-hand side.

The Aviva Stadium, Dublin

Admi edly, I’m not much of a sports photographer but I quite like this shot I snapped with my camera
phone during a rugby match featuring the mighty Leinster. No ce how the kicker (Johnny Sexton) is
placed to the le of the frame and the ball is traveling into the space on the right. He made the kick by
the way.
When I was a kid, the modern stadium you see in the photograph hadn’t been built yet. Instead, there
was a rather basic and decaying old ground called Lansdowne Road. Back then, my dad used to li me
over the turns les to get in for free. We tried doing this again recently but with less success. I’m now 41
years old, have put on a few pounds since I was a kid and my dad has had a hip replaced.
#19. Le to Right Rule
There is a theory that says we ‘read’ an image from le to right in the same way we would read text. For
this reason, it is suggested that any mo on portrayed in a photograph should flow from le to right. This
is all very well but it assumes the viewer is from a country where text is read from le to right. Many
languages are read from right to le such as Arabic for example. To be honest, I’ve seen plenty of
fantas c photographs that ‘flow’ from right to le .
I was once cri cized by a judge for the fact that a woman in a photo I took was walking from right to le .
He told me it didn’t follow the ‘le to right’ rule. I reminded the judge that the photo was taken in
Tunisia where people read from right to le . I didn’t win.

The photo above follows the ‘le to right’ rule. The woman walking her dog in the Tuileries Garden in
Paris is walking from the le to the right of the frame.
Tuileries Gardens, Paris
This photo also adheres to the ‘rule of space’. You will no ce that there is much more space in front of
the woman than behind her. She has plenty of ‘space’ to walk into in the frame. I also used the rule of
thirds and a ‘frame within a frame’ to compose this photograph.

Campo in Venice, Italy

In this photograph, I completely ignored the le to right rule. Does the photograph suffer as a result? I
don’t think so. What interested me was the woman walking across the beau ful campo while staring at
her phone (as we so o en do these days) as well as the colorful buildings bathed in the evening light.
Frankly, I don’t really care what direc on she is walking in. I suppose I could have asked her to walk back
from where she came from.
Once during a club compe on, a judge docked points from I photo I took in Tunisia for not adhering to
the le to right rule. I argued that as the photograph was taken in an Arab country where people read
from right to le , this should not apply. Unsurprisingly, I did not win.
#20. Balance Elements in the Scene
The first composi onal guideline we looked at in this tutorial was the Rule of Thirds. This of course
means that we o en place the main subject of the photo to the side of the frame along one of the
ver cal grid lines. Some mes this can lead to a lack of balance in the scene. It can leave a sort of ‘void’ in
the rest of the frame.
To overcome this, you can compose your shot to include a secondary subject of lesser importance or size
on the other side of the frame. This balances out the composi on without taking too much focus off the
main subject of the photograph.
Take a look at this photograph of the ornate lamppost on the Pont Alexandre III in Paris.
The lamppost itself fills the le side of the frame. The Eiffel Tower in the distance counterbalances this
on the other side of the frame.
You may have remarked that this seems to go against the idea of nega ve space men oned in guideline
number 10. It also contradicts the ‘rule of odds’ as we now have an even number of elements in the
scene. As I said at the very beginning of this tutorial, there are no unbreakable rules in photographic
composi on. Some of these guidelines contradict each other and that’s ok. Some guidelines work well
for certain types of photographs and not others. It’s a ques on of judgment and experimenta on.
The photo above was taken in Venice. Once again, a decora ve lamppost dominates one side of the
frame. The church tower in the distance provides balance on the other side of the frame.
This also has a secondary effect on the composi on. The church tower in the distance is obviously much
bigger than the lamppost in real life. It appears smaller in the photograph as it is far away. This helps add
a sense of depth and scale to the scene.
#21. Juxtaposi on
Juxtaposi on is a very powerful composi onal tool in photography. Juxtaposi on refers to the inclusion
of two or more elements in a scene that can either contrast with each other or complement each other.
Both approaches can work very well and play an important part in enabling the photo to tell a story.
Mauritshuis, the Hague
In this photograph, there is a juxtaposi on between the beau ful older buildings of the Hague in the
bo om half of the frame and the modern skyscrapers that rise up behind them. The handsome building
in the center is the Mauritshuis Museum which houses pain ngs such as “The Girl with the Pearl
Earring” and “The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp” by Rembrandt.
I spent a few days cycling around the Hague on a borrowed bike made for a 6 foot 4 Dutchman. I am a 5
foot 5 Irishman so that was fun and quite terrifying as I dodged trams on the uneven cobbled streets. On
several occasions, I got my bike wheels stuck in a tram line. In this case, you basically have two choices:
fall to the le or to the right. I tried both on mul ple occasions.
Take a look at this photo taken in Paris. In the bo om half of the frame, we have the slightly rough and
ready book stands full of clu er and posters hanging from the tops. Rising above all of this, however, is
the magnificent medieval Notre Dame Cathedral. This architectural gem is the epitome of order and
structure unlike the unsophis cated but a rac ve bookstalls below. They seem to be in direct contrast
with each other yet they work well together. They both represent the city of Paris in different ways. They
tell a story about two different elements of the city.
Dealul Mitropoliei – Bucharest
Contras ng the natural and built environments is another way of using juxtaposi on, In this case, the
delicate pink roses contrast with the solid man-made building in the background. In this case, I blurred
the background but not so much that we can’t make what is there. We saw this in the sec on on le ng
the background provide context.

The photo above was also taken in France, but this me in the picturesque li le village of Meyssac in the
South West. In this shot, the old Citroen 2CV car looks perfectly at home in front of the typical French
cafe in the background. The two elements complement each other perfectly. The man with his back to us
in the cafe is the owner of the car and he seemed surprised when I asked if it was ok to take a picture of
his car. He asked why I’d ever want to take a photo of ‘that old thing’. He didn’t seem to realize that he
had unwi ngly set up a quintessen ally French scene by parking in front of that par cular cafe.
#22. Golden Triangles
The golden triangles composi on works in a very similar way to the rule of thirds. Instead of a grid of
rectangles, however, we divide the frame with a diagonal line going from one corner to another. We then
add two more lines from the other corners to the diagonal line. The two smaller lines meet the big line
at a right angle as is illustrated below. This divides the frame into a series of triangles. As you can see,
this way of composing helps us introduce an element of the ‘dynamic tension’ we learned about in
guideline number 6. As with the rule of thirds, we use the lines (of the triangles in this case) to help us
posi on the various elements in the scene.
The photo above contains strong diagonals that follow the lines of the ‘golden triangles’. The light trails
from the traffic perfectly follow the diagonal line running from the top right-hand corner to the bo om
le -hand corner. The tops of the buildings on the le are close to the smaller diagonal on the le . The
small line on the right meets the larger line at the top corner of the buildings.
The photo above makes use of the ‘rule of triangles’ in a more subtle way. The heads of the statues
create an ‘implied triangle’. This line leads us to the Eiffel Tower in the distance. The smaller line on the
le meets the longer line right at the halfway point of the Eiffel Tower. The smaller line on the right goes
right between the two statues. The rule of triangles can seem like a complex way of arranging a photo
but it can result in some really striking composi ons.
#23. Golden Ra o
What is the golden ra o? Well, it’s actually very simple: two quan es are in the golden ra o if their
ra o is the same as the ra o of their sum to the larger of the two quan es. Wait, what now? Ok, if that
sounds too complicated, perhaps this mathema cal formula will help:

What do you mean you’re even more confused now? Is this form clearer?

Ok, that seems to have just made things worse. Forget all that.
I o en describe the golden ra o as being a slightly more complicated version of the rule of thirds with a
li le bit of the golden triangles method thrown into the mix. Take a look at the image below.
The Golden Ra o / Phi Grid / Fibonacci Spiral | Adobe Stock
Rather than dividing the frame into equal rectangles, it is instead divided into a series of squares as in
the example above. This is known as a “Phi Grid”. These squares are then used as a guide to add a spiral
that looks like a snail’s shell — this is known as the “Fibonacci Spiral”.
These squares, lines, and spiral are then used to lay out the elements in the frame as with the rule of
thirds and golden triangles. The spiral is supposed to lead the eye around the frame and show us how
the scene should flow. It’s a bit like an invisible leading line. We will look at leading lines in more detail
shortly.
Adobe Stock
The similari es with the rule of thirds and golden triangles become clearer once we add a few lines to
the diagram. The golden ra o also divides the frame into 9 parts although this me they are not all the
same size and shape. The diagonals we saw in the golden triangles examples can also be added here.
It is believed that the golden spiral method of composi on has been in existence for over 2,400 years
having been devised in Ancient Greece. It is widely used in many types of art as well as architecture as a
way of crea ng aesthe cally pleasing composi ons. It was par cularly well employed in Renaissance art.
The Parthenon, Athens | Adobe Stock
Ok, I have to admit something here. I have never actually purposely set out to compose a photograph
using the golden ra o. When I looked back through my photographs, I did no ce that I had
uninten onally used it a few mes.
Here is a perfect example of one of my accidental uses of the golden ra o. I took this photo in Venice.
The bridge and steps on the le occupy the large square to the right. The Fibonacci Spiral then leads us
from here across the top of the bridge and down to the two women si ng next to it. It may have been a
lucky accident but it seems to work!
The golden ra o can be set up in different direc ons. In this photo taken in Prague, the spiral leads us
across the bridge to the castle on the far bank. Another lucky accident!

Paris, France
In this case, the Fibonacci Spiral starts in the top right-hand corner, passes under the couple dancing and
finishes on the street musician’s face. The fact that I accidentally stumbled upon the golden ra o a few
mes shows how many of these composi on “rules” may actually be manifesta ons of our internal
aesthe c preferences that come naturally to us. Woah. Deep. It reminds us that these should be used as
ideas and not strict rules.
#24. Let the Background Give Context to the Subject
Now it’s me to contradict myself again. There are mes when I like to use a busy background. In these
cases, I want to background to provide some context to my subject.

Dublin Seagull
This photograph doesn’t contain any old seagull. This is a Dublin seagull! The slightly blurred O’Connell
Street in the background gives the subject some context. The fact that he was ea ng a bowl
of coddle and drinking Lyons Tea when I spo ed him also lets me know that he was indeed a Dublin
seagull. No ce, how the background is s ll blurred but not so much that the seagull doesn’t stand out.
It’s about ge ng a balance between not distrac ng from the subject and providing background context.
Dealul Mitropoliei – Bucharest
I took this photograph of a rose at a monastery complex on the outskirts of Bucharest, Romania. Once
again I blurred the background just enough to let the rose stand out. There is s ll however enough detail
to show the viewer the context that the rose was photographed in.
#25. Let the Eye Wander Around the Frame
And for my next trick, I will once again completely contradict myself. This is the an thesis to the concept
of simplicity and minimalism. There are some occasions I like to take photographs with plenty happening
in the frame. Take a look at the pain ngs of Pieter Bruegel to see an excellent example of art with plenty
of different characters and ac vi es going on in the frame.
Temple Bar, Dublin
This photograph was taken in the Temple Bar area of Dublin City. The frame is full of different characters
and ac vity. In this case, the eye can wander around the frame no cing all the li le details such as the
flowers, the building details, and various people walking, exi ng a building, or checking their phone
outside a pub. There is no one main subject.
It is not a ques on of simplicity being preferable to complexity or vice versa. One isn’t inherently
“be er” than the other. It all depends on what you are trying to achieve with a par cular photograph.
#26. Use Layers in the Frame
A very effec ve way to add a sense of depth to a photograph is to shoot a scene that contains layers of
elements at varying distances from your vantage point. These layers can lead the eye through the scene
from the foreground, through the middle distance to the background.
Groenerei Canal, Bruges
In this photograph of a canal in Bruges, the bridge acts as foreground interest. The buildings along the
canal provide the next layer in the middle distance. These buildings then lead the viewer through the
image towards the more distant elements. Finally, the bell tower from a distant church rises from behind
the other buildings in the background. In this case, I did the opposite to the photos with foreground
interest; I used a zoom lens to compress the perspec ve.
#27. Add Human Interest
Including some human interest in a scene can make a photograph far more engaging as well as adding a
sense of scale. this is something I some mes forget as a mainly urban landscape photographer. I’ve
no ced that most of my best urban photographs include people somewhere in the frame.

Ponte Romana, Tavira

The old bridge in the large town of Tavira in Portugal is a very a rac ve photography loca on in itself.
This photograph would have been quite good without any human interest but I think the lone figure
really makes this shot. The person adds life to the scene as well as giving a sense of scale to the
surroundings. I had to wait a while for the right person to enter the scene and click the shu er at the
right moment. We will see more about capturing these “decisive moments” next.
#28. Wait for the “Decisive Moment”
The idea of the “decisive moment” in photography is of course most associated with the great French
street photographer Henri Car er-Bresson. But what did Car er-Bresson mean by the “Decisive
Moment”? The great man himself said the following photography quote:
Your eye must see a composi on or an expression that life itself offers you, and you must know with
intui on when to click the camera. —Henri Car er-Bresson
In the case of Henri Car er-Bresson, this meant clicking the camera at the exact moment a man leaped
over a puddle behind Gare Saint Lazare or capturing the flee ng cheeky expression of a French boy as he
joyfully carried a bo le of wine in each hand through the streets of Paris.
Carmersstraat Bridge, Bruges
This is actually one of my personal favorite photographs from my por olio. I took it on an atmospheric
misty morning in the picturesque Belgian city of Bruges. The loca on for this photograph was certainly
interes ng but for me, it is the man crossing the bridge on his bicycle that makes this photograph
special.
This was one of those occasions when I had to wait for that exact right moment to press the shu er. I
crouched beside a canal sidewall, composed my shot, and waited…. and waited…. and waited some
more. Every so o en, someone would cycle across the bridge but the shot would be ruined by a car
coming in the opposite direc on or perhaps the cyclist would look too modern for the mood I was trying
to create in the final photograph – very inconsiderate in my opinion!
Finally, a er about 45 minutes, I saw the gentleman you can see in the photo approaching the bridge. I
waited un l he was right in front of the light-colored building you see right behind him so he would
stand out and pressed the shu er.
It was one of those moments I knew straight away that I’d go en the shot I wanted from this loca on. I
think it was worth the wait. I was quite lucky as there was a car coming from the opposite direc on
ready to spoil my shot. Thankfully for me the cyclist just beat him to the bridge. I think he should
consider taking part in the Tour de France this year.
Phoenix Park Tearooms, Dublin
Some mes capturing the “decisive moment” can be a case of being in the right place at the right me. In
this case, I had already set up my camera to photograph the old tea rooms in the Victorian Era Phoenix
Park in Dublin. As I was wai ng, a young couple entered the frame and said goodbye with a tender kiss in
front of the doors to the tea rooms. Pa ence and luck both play a role in capturing the “decisive
moment” in your photographs.
Applying These Composi on Tips to Your Photography
I have told you that it is o en possible to combine two or more of the composi on ideas I’ve covered in
one photograph.