8 Best Photography Composition Techniques to Take Better Photos

Have you been trying to master your camera's manual settings and learn about aperture, shutter speed and ISO?

The truth is that these camera settings, while important, are not the main things you should worry about when it comes to taking visually striking photos.

This is where composition techniques come in! If you learn how to master photography composition, then it'll instantly improve your photos whether you're shooting on a DSLR camera, mirrorless or an iPhone.

In today's video, we'll be cover 8 key photography composition techniques and tips including the rule of thirds composition. While this is a "rule", rules are often made to be broken!

To elevate your photography, we'll be covering the following compositional techniques:

1. Framing: This will create a frame around your subject in a scene and provide a greater level of context to help you tell a story through an image.

2. Leading lines: You can use the "lines" in your scene to draw attention to a specific point in your photography. It's also a great way to add a sense of depth to your photographs.

3. Symmetry: This is a very powerful technique in photography. We're drawn to symmetry and balance as human beings. Look for opportunities to create a sense of "symmetry" within your scene.

4. Negative space: While this won't work for every scene, the idea here is to leave a lot of negative space around your main subject. It should ultimately evoke certain emotions, whether it's a sense of tranquility or mystery.

6. Contrast: This is another powerful technique because when you begin contrasting certain elements, it'll create a stronger visual impact. The most common types would be tonal and color contrast, second to that would be conceptual contrast.

7. Patterns: The use of pattens and repetition can be extremely eye-catching when shot well. You can turn a mundane scene into something really powerful in photography.

8. Depth of field: Depth of field allows you to define the foreground and the background when you decide on focusing on a particular point in your scene.

9. Shadows: Don't be afraid of the shadows! When shot well, you can incorporate the other composition techniques to draw attention to a particular area in your photo.

00:00 Introduction
00:37 What is Composition?
00:50 What is the Rule of Thirds?
01:13 1. Framing Technique
01:52 2. Leading Lines Technique
02:20 3. Symmetry Technique
02:54 4. Negative Space Technique
03:20 5. Contrast Technique
03:55 6. Patterns Technique
04:33 7. Depth of Field Technique
05:11 8. Shadows Technique
05:53 Conclusion

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[sunnyshop]

What's your go-to compositional technique that you always use? Let us know below! 👇

[genghis]

I've been taking photos for nearly a lifetime and it's nice to be reminded once more of the most important aspect in the art of photography - composition.

[WhitecatProject]

Liked that you added examples even from movies since these are easier to spot and identify. Thanks!

[KeAiFu]

Always good to remind on the basics! Short video, but comprehensive and informative.

[bioliv]

What a gem! Subscribed, with all notifications on 🙂

[JohnChubbSr]

This is great! 3rds and leading lines are what I use mostly, but using these in different combinations is fascinating. These ideas are beneficial, thanks!!!

[adventurecoalition]

This was great 👍 thx for the information with examples

[wisconsinfarmboy]

Good stuff, will check out your other work

[RandyTaylor_]

@Sunny16shop, thank you for this reminder of the basics!! I'm new to photography, but I'm determined!! 😂 I WILL master at least 30 of the compositional techniques. So far I''m about halfway there. Thank you again and stay safe.

Personally, I'm looking forward to countless more of your clear, concise, easy to understand photography videos. 😎

BTW . . . Hit the like, subscribed, and shared the video.

[allenschneider]

Such a wonderful and helpful video. Thanks!

[cgcsantelices]

Very informative video! Can you also make one about Mirror less vs. DSLR? Thank you!!!

[fungiformenow]

This is all largely unnecessary. Adjust the picture to suit you before taking it