Compositional Tools

How to put together amazing photos

What are Compositional Tools?

• Rules or ideas you use to assemble your photographs

• This does not mean they are posed by you, the photographer

• Instead you must learn to see these elements/tools through your lens and use them to our advantage!

Rule of Thirds• Think of putting a tic-tac-toe board on your photos– Place your subject on intersection points

• Visually interesting when subject isn’t centered

Leading Lines• Using natural lines to draw viewers eye to subject• The lines should lead viewer right to the subject or

main object in your photo

Dominant ForegroundContributing Background

• Main subject is in the Foreground and that is where the viewers eye goes first

• Secondary subject/content in the background contributes to the meaning or understanding of the photo

Pattern & Repetition

• Look for repeating patterns and use them to your advantage

• Filling the frame with repeating objects can be visually interesting

Breaking Pattern• Also look for places where your subject breaks up

the pattern• Viewers eye will automatically go to the subject

because it is different from the pattern

Selective Focus

• Make your subject in focus, and the background blurry

• This will draw the readers attention to your subject first

Balance• Not Symmetry, images don’t have to be exactly the

same on both sides• Have secondary subject to balance out main

subject• Not just subject on one side and empty space on

the other

Framing• Using other elements in the photo to frame your

subject naturally• This will help draw the viewers eye to your subject

Blur• Blur is a good way of

showing action or motion• Subject is blurry• Everything else is in focus

Panning• Another good way to show action• Focus on and follow your subject as they move– you must be moving or following them with your lens

• Subject will be in focus• Everything else will be

blurry