elements of composition
What Is Composition in Photography? A Complete Guide
Jul 4, 2026
Lydia Marlowe
Composition in photography is the way you arrange the elements within your frame: where you place your subject, how you use lines and shapes, what you include and leave out. Along with light and exposure, it’s one of the three pillars of a good photograph. Strong composition is what draws a viewer’s eye into an image, guides them through it, and holds their attention, turning a snapshot into a photograph worth looking at.
A primer to advanced composition (and critiquing your own work)
Mar 28, 2024
Clinton Lofthouse
A while back, fellow DIY writer Joseph Parry and I were chatting over Messenger. We had just started following a blog called Canon of Design by Tavis…
Back to basics: Mastering the Rule of Thirds in photography
Jan 6, 2021
Nicholas Goodden
The rule of thirds in photography. I know… I’m going back to basics but since I just published an article on the importance of Leading…
Seven composition techniques you can learn from “The Queen’s Gambit”
Nov 30, 2020
Dunja Đuđić Kalinin
Watching movies and TV series is not only a great pastime activity on cold winter days but also a great way to find inspiration…
Is the middle line the “secret rule of photo composition?”
Aug 15, 2018
Dunja Đuđić Kalinin
When we talk about the rules of composition, the Rule of Thirds or the Golden Ratio are probably the first that come to mind to…
9 compositional tips to help you shoot landscapes like a pro
Apr 30, 2018
John Aldred
It’s that time of year when landscape photography is starting to become popular again. The snow’s all but disappeared for most of us. Even the…
3 composition tips to instantly improve your photos
Aug 17, 2017
Dunja Đuđić Kalinin
Good composition is one of the key elements of what we’d call a good photo. Sometimes, it’s what turns a decent photo into a great…
Breaking down masterful composition of Henri Cartier-Bresson’s photos
Aug 16, 2017
Dunja Đuđić Kalinin
We can learn a lot about photography by observing and analyzing the works of the masters. Henri Cartier-Bresson is one of my favorite photographers of…
How to create a strong focal point and manage attention inside your photographs
Jan 18, 2017
Patrick Beggan
Focal point is a term that photographers and photography blogs throw around continually. “Create a focal point,” it’s said, “it should be the first and…
How to use composition patterns to improve your travel and people photography
Jan 16, 2017
Etienne Bossot
When doing photography in general, and in my case Travel photography, the use of a photography template can be very beneficial and help improve the…