Image composition in photography

People can capture an image within a hundredth of a second so that even if you look back and forth quickly, it will stick in your mind. With a well-thought-out composition, you can take advantage of this fact. In photography, the composition of a picture is called image composition, i.e. how the various elements of the picture are arranged. Different techniques can be used for this, which have been proven to help achieve a more attractive picture composition. The composition itself as well as the focus in photography play a significant role in the effect of the image on the viewer. Here we give you some valuable and practical tips on how to create the effect of your photo in a targeted way.

Basic possibilities of image composition

Before we create a photo, we already determine the format of the photo by setting up the camera. The right motif lends expression to the picture. If these two basic elements are well thought out before the photo is taken, then a meaningful and emotional photo can quickly emerge from a trivial snapshot.

The motif is decisive

Only with a motif can a certain meaning be attached to the picture. However, to be able to transfer this motif into a photo, you should first imagine the motif pictorially. Also, ask yourself what or whom you want to look at and what you want to focus on. If you decide on two motifs in one photo, then it is important to determine which motif should play the main or secondary role before taking the picture. An additional frame around the picture gives the viewer a clear focus. However, a frame that can already be set in the photo is particularly effective here. Let's imagine a setting where someone is photographing the sea from a cave, with rocks to the left, right and top of the picture. The rocks around the picture provide a natural frame and create tension.

Choosing the right format

As a rule, the landscape format looks more familiar and ordinary, but also calmer and more balanced, as it is closest to human vision due to the arrangement of the eyes. For this reason, the portrait format is perceived as more dynamic and unstable.

If both formats are combined, then additional tension can be created. For example, a skyscraper as a typical portrait motif photographed in a landscape format attracts considerably more attention. Likewise, a typical landscape format motif such as a sunset over the sea is more exciting if it is photographed in portrait format. When choosing the right format, in addition to the effect of the photo, attention should also be paid to the later use of the image. For a mobile phone cover, therefore, the portrait format is the best choice.

The grid as a central element of the image composition

When looking at a photo, the eye moves from element to element. Some elements, such as bright spots, faces or letters, attract more attention than others. Lines in the picture, also called vanishing lines, give the eye a direction. With a good composition, the eye can be supported in capturing essential details in the photo and helping the picture to become more coherent.

The diagonal in the composition

A diagonal represents a line that diagonally connects the corners of the format. Running from the top left to the bottom right of the picture, a so-called descending diagonal is perceived as calmer and less tense because it follows the natural flow of reading. As a result, the eye can be quickly drawn out of the picture again. Think of a street, for example, which runs from the top left to the bottom right of the picture. The edge of the road forms a row of houses. If the gaze follows the course of the street, the viewer is quickly led out of the picture. On the other hand, ascending diagonals, which lead from the bottom left to the top right, have a particularly stimulating effect and thus direct the viewer's gaze to the detail. The viewer lingers longer in the picture because he can better perceive the details of the row of houses.

The horizon in the composition

The line that separates the sky from the earth represents the horizon. If this line is placed in the centre of the picture, the result is a rather tensionless composition. To create more atmosphere, the horizon is often placed further below or above the centre of the picture. A horizon further down in the photo emphasises the distance and vastness of the landscape, as the sky takes up a large part of the picture. The photo appears light and open. A horizon that is higher up in the picture creates heaviness and closeness at the same time, as more of the ground is covered. The eye wanders from the ground up to the horizon.

The horizon can also be above or below the borders of the picture. If the horizontal line is slightly above the lower border of the picture, the picture appears closed. If the horizon is slightly below the lower picture border, then only the sky is visible and the picture has a slightly floating effect.

Symmetry and repetitions

Symmetry is found in large numbers in nature. For example, the majority of living creatures, but also vehicles and buildings, have a symmetrical structure. Symmetry is perceived as particularly harmonious and aesthetic, but it can also run the risk of creating boredom. If you want to photograph a symmetrical object, you should either reproduce the symmetry exactly or deviate from it significantly in order to maintain the image tension. Either align your camera on the central axis of a symmetrical object or deliberately deviate from a symmetrical representation by changing perspective or location.

An equally harmonious effect is created by recurring objects and elements in the picture, detached from their symmetry or uniformity. A suitable example of this is a beach full of beach chairs or sun loungers. However, recurring structures, lights and shadows also lead to a harmonious effect on the viewer.

The use of patterns

Our brain finds the regular arrangement of recurring elements particularly aesthetic. Particularly detailed objects, which at first glance appear restless, can radiate tranquillity through an arrangement as a pattern. Such patterns can often be found in the field of technology and architecture, but also nature, as in honeycombs. It becomes exciting when the pattern is interrupted with an irregularity. This can set the focus of the photo. If you want to emphasise the regularity in a motif, use a suitable perspective here. Likewise, the edges of the picture should not be unattractively interrupted.

Dots as a tension builder

If the picture elements are so small that they are only recognised as dots, then only their location as well as their brightness and colour play a role. These dots can be perceived as radiating calm or as being in a relationship of tension. But they can also establish a relationship to a surface or form an almost musical context. Dots represent a dynamic design element, which together also create shapes or arcs of lines and thus catch the eye of the viewer.

Dynamic or static composition

A static composition alone can make a photo appear calm. For example, if you stand in front of a house with a white façade and a red roof and photograph it frontally, you will get a calm image. A very dynamic composition, on the other hand, can even make objects appear to be moving. If you were to photograph a stationary train from the platform frontally, so that the train is a little further to the edge of the picture, then it will be set in motion by the balancing effect. This is made possible by placing objects on oblique lines.

The rule of thirds

Since motifs placed in the centre of the picture often appear tensionless, the rule of thirds can be used to help. Simply explained, the picture is divided into nine rectangles of equal size, three horizontally and three vertically. The aim is to align the most important element of the subject along the lines or an intersection of two lines. Photos that have already been taken can be cropped afterwards using an image editing programme.

The Triangle Constellation

A very effective technique for composing pictures is the triangle principle, which is very popular for group shots. If three people of the same size are placed directly next to each other in a picture, it looks powerless and bland. On the other hand, it is more interesting and beautiful to arrange the heads in a triangle. The picture looks calmest when the heads form a pointed triangle pointing upwards. With the tip pointing downwards, the impression is more unstable. If the triangle is arranged diagonally, more dynamics come into play. The triangle can also be used as a composition principle for any other motif.

The Golden Triangle in Photography

Similar to the rule of thirds, the Golden Triangle uses grid lines. Instead of rectangles, however, the picture is divided by a diagonal from the upper left corner to the lower right corner. Furthermore, a line is drawn from the lower right corner of the picture, which meets the diagonal at a right angle. The same is continued on the other side of the picture. The resulting triangles help to place the elements in exactly these areas to build tension in the picture.

The Art of the Golden Section

The human eye finds the golden section particularly harmonious and attractive. The golden section is a dividing ratio that painters, sculptors and architects from antiquity have already made use of. But the proportions of the golden section can also be discovered in nature, for example in ferns or shells.

The ratio of the golden section, the so-called golden number, is 1.61. This means a horizontal line divided into two parts of different sizes. The smaller part of the line relates to the larger part in the same way as the larger part relates to the entire line.

Ultimately, the motif is placed in the same place with both the golden section and the division into thirds. It is said that the golden section contributes to more harmony, while the rule of thirds creates more tension in the picture.

Design photo products yourself at print24

A well-thought-out image composition can help your picture to become more exciting and lively. Especially in marketing, the effect of images plays an important role in targeting customers. At print24 we allow you to print your photo products on stickers, books, caps and much more and customise them to your individual needs. If you have any questions about our products or would like personal advice, please feel free to contact us via our contact form or give us a call. We will help you at any time!