Improve your compositions and make better photos

"Composition in photography"... Just type these words in Google and you will find hundreds if not thousands of articles and videos on the subject. The Golden ratio and the rule of thirds are probably the most commonly shared and recommended "rules" for all beginners eager to step up their composition game.

We won't talk about these here because I don't think I can add anything new to what has already been said on the topic.

Instead, I will give you guys my simple approach to composition, and how you can easily apply it to your own work. As a beginner, you often struggle at taking a decision on what to include or exclude in the frame and where to place your main subject.

When I started I ended up centering everything! Having your subject in the center of your frame is not a bad thing... but it can get really boring if not motivated.

There are so many other options at your disposal to make your shots much more interesting, and I won't cover them all here. Let me share with you the ones I believe are easy to understand and use right away.

1/ Leading lines

A true eye trainer! Using leading lines will help the viewer look in a certain direction or at a particular spot in the frame. It also builds tension and adds a little sense of movement and depth. People love being guided, it helps them get into your picture and understand it much faster. This works with your subject centered or not, or even placed on the left or right side of the Frame.

Nicole Muratov - Base sous-marine (Bordeaux - France)

Final image:

It also gives depth to your shot giving your brain elements to hold on to. Lines help us visualize where the subject is placed in a 33-dimensional world but in a 2-dimensional picture.

Ksenia Abbazova (Madrid - Spain)

Final image:

Bonetics (London - UK)