7 composition rules to take beautiful photos. (2024)

7 COMPOSITION RULES TO TAKE BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS

Are you struggling because every picture you take doesn’t look as good as you want? Don’t worry, I am here to help you with a few easy tips that will help you to take beautiful photos.

I decided to write this article because once upon a time I was in the same position as you (read my story here).

In fact, I remember that I was in front of my computer downloading my holidays pictures and thinking: “Oh man, these pictures are terrible. I want to learn more, I want to take better pictures”.

Today I will not talk about exposure, ISO, shutter speed and other technical aspects of the camera, but instead we will talk about composition.

It’s time to start to improve your skills and learn the most important photography rules:

1. The rule of thirds:

This photography rule is very simple. You must place your subject in a third of the overall area. It means on the right or on the left but not in the middle… Use the grid in your camera to be precise. Put the intersection of the upper vertical line and the middle horizontal line on the face of your subject if you are taking the photo of total body and background or on the eyes if you are taking a close up.

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2. Follow the leading lines:

The photography rule of lines is very important. Lines tend to guide viewer’s eyes. For this reason, you have to follow the lines to take straight pictures but for other benefits too. Some lines bring viewers to focus their attention to the subject like railways, roads, or natural lines in a landscape make your photos immediately more interesting and original.

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3. Depth:

Depth is the distance between your subject and the background and gives two- or three-dimensional perspective to your pictures. More distance you have, more depth of field there will be. How to give depth to your picture? Take your subject distant from the background and follow the rules of thirds at the same time to have a perfect perspective that gives a sense of depth. Use also a very luminous lens like 50 mm 1.4 or 85 mm 1.8 or a zoom like 70-200 mm 2.8. These lenses add blur and depth to the final result of your photos.

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4. Symmetry:

Sometimes you are in front of a building or natural lines that are exactly in symmetry. It means that the right part is perfectly identical to the left part and each element repeats itself. A perfect structure where you can put your subject in the middle.

This method drives attention to your subject emphasizing also the beauty of the background.

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5. Cinema-style shot:

If you want to take beautiful photos, from now on be mindful when you watch a movie. You will notice the presence of particular shots that the director repeats constantly during the movie.

For example you will see close up with the rule of thirds where a little piece of head is cut (to put the focus on the facial expression and give breadth to the rest of the scene) or the person who appears from the back is in three quarters (useful if you want take reportage pictures) or also other particular ways to take pictures of details and people.

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6. Don’t decapitate your subject:

When you want to take a beautiful close up don’t commit the error to go too close and cut exactly under the chin line. The effect will be terrible. So, remind to frame under the collar bones. This will give breadth to your portrait.

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7. Don’t shoot from the top to bottom:

When you want to take a group picture or just a portrait remember not to shoot from the top. If you do that, your subjects will appear with large heads and short legs, definitely not the most flattering proportions.

Every photographer does that. Especially if you are tall, you have to always bend your legs to be in line with your subject.

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I really hope this article will help you to take beautiful photos. Start to take pictures with these easy rules and send to me some of them. I will happy to give to you my feedback.

7 composition rules to take beautiful photos. (2024)

FAQs

7 composition rules to take beautiful photos.? ›

There are seven basic elements of photographic art: line, shape, form, texture, color, size, and depth. As a photographic artist, your knowledge and awareness of these different elements can be vital to the success of your composition and help convey the meaning of your photograph.

What are the 7 rules of composition? ›

7 Rules For Better Shot Composition and Framing
  • The Rule Of Thirds.
  • Symmetry.
  • Leading Lines.
  • Leading and Head Room.
  • Depth.
  • Size Equals Power.
  • Break the Rules.
Apr 7, 2022

What are the 7 basics of photography? ›

There are seven basic elements of photographic art: line, shape, form, texture, color, size, and depth. As a photographic artist, your knowledge and awareness of these different elements can be vital to the success of your composition and help convey the meaning of your photograph.

What is picture composition grade 7? ›

What is a picture composition? Picture Composition is describing a picture. We can tell or describe the things we can see in the particular picture. We need to observe the picture and can make few sentences based on the picture.

What is the composition of the pictures? ›

Composition refers to how we lay the picture out and how we position subjects within the frame to get the most aesthetically pleasing results. The purpose of good composition is to guide the viewer's eye through the picture. We can achieve this through careful framing, arrangement and placement.

What are the 7 rules of composition in art? ›

Read on here to learn more from the experts at FrameStore.
  • Balance. When experts talk about balance, they're referring to the way an artist combines the different elements of art to create visual stability and equilibrium within the work. ...
  • Movement. ...
  • Rhythm. ...
  • Pattern. ...
  • Contrast. ...
  • Unity. ...
  • Emphasis. ...
  • Learn More About Art.

What is the golden rule of composition? ›

This is how it works: Imagine your picture plane, then divide it by thirds of both horizontal and vertical lines. Now, you have grid-like divisions across the whole surface. The four points where the horizontal and vertical lines intersect each other will be the best placements for your focal points.

What is the first rule of composition? ›

The first rule that all new photographers learn is the basis for well-balanced shots: The Rule of Thirds. Basically, the idea is to break down a photograph into thirds both horizontally and vertically, like so: If you start by looking at the three horizontal lines, you'll see an easy way to divide a landscape shot.

What are the 7 elements of art in one picture? ›

The seven elements of art are line, shape, form, space, value, color and texture. These elements are the essential components, or building blocks, of any artwork. Any good artwork should consist of these 7 ingredients.

What are the 7 steps in conceptual photography? ›

Step-by-step guide to artistic conceptual photography
  • Define your concept. The first step is to design the scene and decide what it is you want to transmit.
  • Search for inspiration. Good ideas rarely fall from the sky. ...
  • Write your ideas down. ...
  • Use symbols. ...
  • Keep your message simple. ...
  • Meticulous production.

What is photography class 7? ›

Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film.

What is the #1 rule of photography? ›

The rule of thirds is a photo composition tip that comes up a lot because it really is universally applicable. Using it can be a small change that makes a big difference to your final image composition. The rule of thirds refers to dividing your image into three horizontal sections and three vertical sections.

What is rules of shot composition? ›

At its core, composition is about guiding the viewer's attention by visually balancing the elements of your shot. Usually, the goal of shot composition is to create a well-balanced image, but visual imbalance can be a great way to add dynamic or amplify drama. Note that balance does not equal symmetry.

How many compositions are in photography? ›

Patterns, textures, lines, shapes, forms, color, tone, contrast, depth, frames, symmetry, asymmetry, depth of field, viewpoint, negative space, positive space, and visual tension are among them. Read on to learn about the five basic elements of composition in photography.

What is the 3 shot composition? ›

The rule of thirds suggests placing the subject of a shot near one of the four intersection points of lines that divide a composition into vertical and horizontal thirds.

What is the 6th rule in framing and composition? ›

Photography Composition Rule #6: Make Use of Leading Lines

Basically, it refers to using natural lines or shapes to guide the eye towards your main subject. The key to this photo composition tip is to take a big-picture view of the scene you are shooting, and to spot the elements that you can use as leading lines.

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