Compositional Tools
How to put together amazing photos
What are Compositional Tools?
• Rules or ideas you use to assemble your photographs
• This does not mean they are posed by you, the photographer
• Instead you must learn to see these elements/tools through your lens and use them to our advantage!
Rule of Thirds• Think of putting a tic-tac-toe board on your photos– Place your subject on intersection points
• Visually interesting when subject isn’t centered
Leading Lines• Using natural lines to draw viewers eye to subject• The lines should lead viewer right to the subject or
main object in your photo
Dominant ForegroundContributing Background
• Main subject is in the Foreground and that is where the viewers eye goes first
• Secondary subject/content in the background contributes to the meaning or understanding of the photo
Pattern & Repetition
• Look for repeating patterns and use them to your advantage
• Filling the frame with repeating objects can be visually interesting
Breaking Pattern• Also look for places where your subject breaks up
the pattern• Viewers eye will automatically go to the subject
because it is different from the pattern
Selective Focus
• Make your subject in focus, and the background blurry
• This will draw the readers attention to your subject first
Balance• Not Symmetry, images don’t have to be exactly the
same on both sides• Have secondary subject to balance out main
subject• Not just subject on one side and empty space on
the other
Framing• Using other elements in the photo to frame your
subject naturally• This will help draw the viewers eye to your subject
Blur• Blur is a good way of
showing action or motion• Subject is blurry• Everything else is in focus
Panning• Another good way to show action• Focus on and follow your subject as they move– you must be moving or following them with your lens
• Subject will be in focus• Everything else will be
blurry