Rule of thirds

This is one of the most effective and popular ways of composing a photo. You can improve your photos compositions simply by using this technique. The “rule of thirds” adds interest to the photo by aligning the subject on one of the four points of an imaginary 3x3 grid in the photo.

A simple image made more interesting by positioning on the rule of thirds.

When shooting portraits, you can use the rule of thirds to add focus to the eyes. Simply position one of the eyes or the area between the eyes on the rule of thirds to create a great portrait.

Lead room

Lead room is the the space in front of an object. This element is usually used with the rule of thirds to create a more interesting photo. By leaving room in front of the subject, the viewer will see that it has someplace to go.

The snowboarder is positioned on the rule of thirds with some lead room in front of him.

Leaving some lead room in front of the runner makes the photo look more active. It also puts more attention to the sunset.

Leaving room behind the runner makes her appear to be almost done running.

S curve

S Curve is an imaginary line in a photo that is in the shape of an S. This type of line makes photos look more interesting by adding motion guiding the viewers eye in the shape of an S. S curve can also be used in posing to improve the appearance of the models figure.

An example of a highway with an S curve. This photo of a simple scenery is made more interesting with the S curve.

A similar photo of a highway but without the S curve is less dynamic.

S curve can also be used in posing. The earliest examples of S curve can be found in Greek and Roman sculptures.

Foreground

Most photos have a middleground and a background but very little foreground. You can improve your landscapes photos significantly by including some foreground objects. This is a great technique for creating a sense of scale and making the viewer feel like he/she is in the photo.

The rocks in this landscape photo gives the photo a sense of depth and scale.

Adding more foreground to the photo creates the feeling being there.