Basic Composition Rules

Rule of Thirds

The Most Practical Golden Rule in Photography

What is the Rule of Thirds?

  • Imagine your phone screen divided evenly into nine equal parts by two horizontal and two vertical lines.
  • Placing important elements in your photo at the intersection points of these lines creates balanced and attractive compositions.

How to Use:

  • Turn on the "grid lines" feature in your phone camera
  • Place the subject (like people, buildings) at one of the four intersection points
  • Align the horizon with the upper or lower horizontal line

Why it works:

  • The Rule of Thirds aligns with natural human visual preferences, creating images with more tension and vitality than centered compositions.

Common mistake:

  • Always placing the subject in the center of the frame, which often makes photos look static and lack vitality.

Leading Lines

A Powerful Tool to Guide the Viewer’s Eye

What are Leading Lines?

  • Leading lines are lines or elements in a photo that naturally guide the viewer’s eye movement, such as roads, railings, rivers, etc.

How to use them:

  • Look for naturally occurring lines (roads, fences, building edges)
  • Use these lines as paths to guide the viewer's eye to the subject of the photo
  • Try shooting from different angles to find the most powerful line arrangement

Why it works:

  • The human eye naturally follows lines, using this can create a sense of visual flow and emphasize the subject of the photo.

Shooting tip:

  • Try shooting roads or boardwalks from a low angle, letting the lines extend from the foreground to the distance, creating a sense of depth.

Framing Technique

Creating Natural Borders for Your Subject

What is Framing?

  • Using elements in the environment (such as doorframes, windows, tree branches, arches) to surround the subject of your photo, creating a “picture within a picture” effect.

How to Use:

  • Look for naturally occurring "frames" (windows, gaps between trees, arches, etc.
  • Photograph your subject through these frames
  • Ensure both the frame and subject are clearly identifiable

Why it works:

Natural frames can enhance photo depth, guide the eye to the subject, and add storytelling and context.

 Creative tip:

Try using non-traditional “framing” elements such as shadows, gaps in crowds, or architectural structures.