Rules of CompositionHow to take a great photo

Note

• The following examples are taken from the National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest submissions, 2012.

• Other entries can be found here.

• Strong point of interest– The most important elements dominate the

photo and are forward in it; clutter is eliminated.

A portrait of an old Burmese woman; Burma © Leon Shkolnik

• Contrast– Compose photographs with differences in

light, color and size.

Lava Kiss; Kalapana, Hawaii © Dallas Nagata White

• Asymmetry – Photographs need not be symmetrical.

Asymmetry often works better. Place the main object off center.

Taking Off From Chelatna Lake; Alaska © Janet Kotwas

• Point of view– Look at the subject from an unexpected

angle; maybe above or below the subject.

Spiral Down; Vatican Museum © Syaza Mohammed Shakharulain

• Rule of Thirds– Think of your frame in thirds, horizontally

and vertically like a tic-tac-toe board. Put the subject at the intersection of any two lines.

Your life is your own; Colorado Springs © Tareyn Kaster

• Break the Pattern– Look at what is out of place. It adds interest.

The Rainbow Man; Kuala Lumpur, © Ahmad Izzrafiq Alias/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

• Shoot verbs, not nouns– Try the sports setting for action shots.

Holi Explosion Bombay/ Mumbai, © Giselle Natassia/

• Framing– Fill your frame, do not waste space. Look for

natural frames as well; you can crop if necessary!

Fly By; near Arctic Bay © Michelle Valberg

• In the following photographs, discuss which rules of composition apply to the picture. Feel free to give any critiques as well.

• Photos from the same source.

Sun-Kissed Faces; Cebu, the Philippines © Erwin Choachuy

Maiko; Kyoto, Japan © Seiya Bowen

Leading Lines; Sarawak, Malaysia © Sharkawi Che Din

Sunset over Bruges; Belgium © Calvin Lee

Blizka; The Buzludzha Monument, Bulgaria © Thomas Jorion

Dragon Wave; Ke’e beach, Kauai, Hawaii © Lace Andersen

Nomad woman milking a yak; Sichuan, China © John Quintero