Learn 20 Photo Composition Techniques in JUST 20 Minutes!

Great composition is the foundation of every photo. In this video, I want to share with you 20 of my favourite tried and tested photography composition techniques. You can use them to help improve the power and impact of your images!

No matter what type of photographer you are, or what subjects you like to photograph, understanding composition is key to developing the foundation for your photographs.

Good composition can catch your viewer’s eye, draw them into your photo and make them want to know more about the people, situations and stories you are photographing.

I’ve drawn upon my 20 years experience taking images and producing photo essays and stories for clients including National Geographic, the Guardian and the Pulitzer Center to narrow it down to these 20 techniques.

✍️ Did I miss any of your favourite composition techniques? Let me know in the comments below!

📷 What's In The Video:

0:00 Introduction
01:23 Rule of Thirds
02:02 Strong Lines
02:58 Leading Lines
03:36 Symmetry
04:13 Patterns
04:55 Dynamic Diagonals
05:38 Frame in a Frame
06:27 Diminishing Perspectives
07:23 Strong Shapes
08:20 Low Angle
09:13 High Angle
10:14 Two Points of Interest
11:08 The Power of Three
12:13 Negative Space
13:15 Fill the Frame
14:24 Layering
15:29 Multiple Points of Interest
16:19 Center Focus
17:14 Triangular Formation
18:10 S-Curve
19:08 How to Practice the Techniques
19:54 Download the eBook
20:10 Join the Mentorship Program

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[SeanGallagherPhotographer]

📸 Which is your favourite composition technique from these 20? Did I miss any?

[udaynrynn]

Great video, Sean! This is a fantastic resource for anyone needing a quick refresher on composition techniques. Thanks for sharing!

[mettasuryabhumikurniawan]

Thank you for the very useful video about composition. The explanation was short, concise, and clear. I am obsessed with photo composition myself, and my favorite is negative space. Even though it consists of just one element, it holds so much meaning. I feel immersed in the photo, and believe that less is more. I look forward to more useful videos in the future.

[Virtues]

Hey Sean, another great video. I certainly need to work on my compositions more. I Love leading lines, and diagonal lines (as you know) lol. But need to experiment more with symmetry against reflective surfaces. My favorite technique has to be a frame within a frame, as that seems to be the best way to bring intrigue and curiosity. There's so much in this video to play with.

[EricRoseBahamas]

Hiya from The Bahamas 🇧🇸

Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[Anadrolus]

Thank you, composition is the most interesting topic for me !

[artursandwich]

Not denying the truthfulness of usefulness of the information I have to say this: rules are not (the same as) techniques .
To answer I like the rule of thirds because it's so easy to implement just as centering the subject; I also enjoy using negative space to underline certain emotions.
PS. I want photographed a boy with scurvy - does it count as using S-curves? 😉