6 composition techniques that will improve your photography

Anyone with more than just a passing interest in photography will have heard of the ‘rules’ of photo composition, such as rule of thirds, leading lines and perhaps even the golden ratio.

These are useful to remember as they can be used to create images with more impact, but they don’t necessary suit every situation and sticking to them slavishly can stifle creativity.

If you’re lacking inspiration and not sure how to approach a subject in a more original way, Moatt Golowczynski offers six photo ideas that will help you to break free from what you know and help with more creative compositions!

SEE MORE: 10 composition mistakes photographers make (and how to avoid them)

Composition Technique No. 1. Find an awkward angle

It’s easy to fall into the trap of taking all your images from eye level, but it can result in all of your shots having similar feel. Sometimes all it takes is a different position to create a far more powerful composition.

If your camera has an articulated screen you can crouch down low and still see what’s going on, possibly capturing low-level subjects against a blurred background, or alternatively angling your camera upwards for a more dramatic perspective.

Alternatively, you could get up close to your subject and shoot straight up. This is great when using a wideangle lens and surrounded by modern architecture, but you could also use it to create silhouettes of flowerheads or even for more abstract compositions.

Or, for portraits with a difference, why not find a vantage point and shoot down with your subject looking up towards the camera?

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Composition Technique No. 2. Compose with colour in mind

Usually when we compose images, we look at how different subjects work together based on their shape and position relative to one another.

There’s no reason why you shouldn’t do this, but an alternative method that can help you to capture something different is to first think about composition from the perspective of colour, specifically which colours to combine for the most striking compositions.

Start by thinking about which colours work harmoniously; reds work with greens, for example, so you could find a single red flower in a field of green.

Blues and oranges also work well, meaning the capture of an orange subject could be enhanced when placed against a clear, blue sky, while purples tend to work well with greens and yellow, something that’s useful to remember when shooting flowers.

Once you start thinking in this way, you may be tempted to shoot images from different angles or to use different backgrounds for still-life subjects – in either case, helping you to achieve something a little different from what you otherwise would.

SEE MORE: Color Theory – the best combinations for photography (and how to take it further)

Composition Technique No. 3. Find a perfect reflection

Reflections can transform images of ordinary subjects into something far more memorable, and for the most effective image you should find one that gives you as clear a view of what’s being reflected as possible.

This could be a glossy window or highly-polished surface, a still lake or even just a puddle. You can use these to form a symmetrical composition with your subject so that both are in the frame, or even to reflect a subject that’s out of it, such as a puddle reflecting a passer-by or a skyline in a pair of sunglasses.

Reflections also work brilliantly in black and white and sepia, particularly when the main subject is in silhouette. Here, try to capture the image in conditions that will provide high contrast in your images so that the silhouette is as defined as possible.

SEE MORE: How to photograph a reflection and flip it to skew reality

Composition Technique No. 4. Don’t avoid converging verticals – embrace them

Converging verticals is an effect most architecture photographers try to avoid as it makes buildings appear to be toppling over. It can, however, be used to great effect, particularly when you’re armed with a wideangle lens.

You could try standing at the base of a skyscraper and compose your image so that its upper details disappear into the distance, leaving you with a strong foreground and a vanishing point.

You could even try this with everyday subjects and a macro lens, such as a bunch of crayons, straws or anything else with either vibrant colours or defined linear details.

This technique also works well when the lines lead to another subject. If you have a camera with a tiltable LCD screen, you could try getting down low and shoot down boards on a pier as they travel towards a subject in the distance, or – very carefully! – double-yellow lines as they approach a parked car or another subject.

SEE MORE: 5 ways to compose an image for supreme impact

Composition Technique No. 5. Forget the rule of thirds and go dead central

The oft mentioned rule of thirds – that is, to divide your frame into horizontal and vertical thirds and place subjects on lines and intersections – is a useful rule to remember, as it helps you to balance subjects with other elements in the frame.

This technique doesn’t, however, suit every scene, and sometimes doing the most obvious thing and positioning your subjects completely central is the best idea for the greatest impact.

From portraits and pets to flowers and other still-life subjects, try to shake off the idea that you always need to place subjects a third or two-thirds of the way into the frame and compose centrally instead.

SEE MORE: Camera composition tips – how to shoot 1 subject 6 different ways

Composition Technique No. 6. Choose a different aspect ratio

How often do you change your camera’s aspect ratio? Most people tend to stick to the default option without thinking about it. It’s useful to do this if you know you’ll be printing your images to a standard printing size, but with fewer people printing today than before, there’s little reason to always think in 3:2 or 4:3.

Most cameras today offer a choice between the 3:2, 4:3, 1:1 and 16:9, and if you tend to capture a range of different subjects you’ll probably find some suit the lesser-used options than the more obvious ones.

SEE MORE: What is aspect ratio in photography? A beginner’s guide

Switching to the 1:1 option is great for portraits, flowers and particularly effective when using with tip #5.

The 16:9 aspect ratio is an obvious choice for landscape photography but it’s also a great option for group shots, automotive photography, bridges and much more.

Look at the shape of the subject and ask yourself whether it would naturally work better in a different frame.

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