PHOTO COMPOSITION

Arranging a scene’s elements into a harmonious composition is easy when you know how…

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the RULE OF THIRDS Divide a scene into three and place subject(s) on the lines

This is a classic technique that works well when the scene has a single, easily definable subject. Place the subject on one of the third lines in the image. Visually, this is more interesting than plonking it in the middle of the frame. For landscapes, place the horizon line on a third. Like all ‘rules’ of composition, don’t be afraid to break it if it leads to a more interesting image.

LEADING LINES Look for lines that point towards your subject

Straight or bendy, you’ll find lines everywhere: roads, rivers, fences, walls, trees, skies… The viewer’s eye will naturally be drawn along the lines, so position the subject so the lines lead towards it. With portraits this is easy, as we can ask a person to move to create the perfect composition. With landscapes, though, you need to reposition yourself – possibly by miles!

FRAMES Look for natural frames within the frame

Look for ways to surround the subject with natural frames. This helps to draw the eye in. The most obvious example is a door or window, but if we look around we’ll find there are lots of other things we can use, such as the branches of a tree or even the shape of a cloud. And the frame doesn’t necessarily need to be between us and the subject: it can be behind it.

FOREGROUND INTEREST Landscapes can benefit from details at the front

This visual device is often used by landscape photographers. Framing a scene to include details in the foreground helps add interest and leads the eye towards the more distant details. Mossy river banks, clusters of flowers and textured rocks all work well. It’s a useful technique, but be wary of overuse – an arbitrary boulder in every landscape gets a bit boring.