Photo-Composition (Part II) : Principal Technique (Rules)

(Base Knowledge V)

(some of statement according to ref. “Photo Composition by Arnold John Kaplan”, see)

The following rules of photo-composition are for guidance only, not for absolute and complete obedience by photographers. No picture was ever made by rules alone, since Photo-Composition involves your personal tastes and preferences. Your natural instincts are worth more in photography than many rigid rules.

However, your must know the rules before you can break them and only break them when you have a good reason for improving the photographic image.

A. Bull’s Eye Composition

A definite “NO, ..NO” in good photo-composition. When you place the main subject right “smack” in the center of the picture area it is called a Bull’s Eye. This should be avoided at all times, unless you have a definite reason for doing it.

With the main subject in the center of the picture frame the eye will go in to the picture and stay in the center of the frame looking at the Bull’s Eye Main Subject and will not move around in the picture to see and enjoy any other items. The eye will get tired very fast and lose interest in the photograph. Your purpose in taking photographs is to have people look at them, enjoy them, talk about them and buy them. If they cannot get interested in a photograph they will not bother to look at it and will definitely not buy it.

It is best to always have the Main Subject OFF CENTER. Even if it is just a little Off Center it will improve the picture’s composition and not give you a Bull’s Eye picture.


NB : Once more, there’s nothing to debate with this rule. If you’re not dealing with it, so go off!! Just do after your faith.. good or bad its consequences has no relation with me..;-} ;-p

B. Rule of The Third
(see my related post, here)


C. Implied Lines

This implied lines will hold the picture together. Implied line are not actual lines that you can see in the picture area, they are ‘implied’ and are made up by the way objects are placed in the picture area. Sometimes actual items or objects do make lines such as, railroad tracks, telephone wires, etc.

These ‘implied lines’ can actually create a response in various ways:

1. Vertical line. It denotes Dignity, Height, Strength, and Grandeur. We find vertical lines in trees, tall buildings, fences, people standing up, mountains, etc. A tall building shows height, strength, dignity and grandeur. Trees show height and strength.

2. Horizontal line. Denotes Repose, Calm, Tranquillity and peacefulness, such as a person lying in the grass sleeping, flowers in a field, the flatness of a desert scene or lake. You can make your photograph illicit these feelings if you look for them in the picture area and use them in your photographs.

3. Diagonal line. This like gives the sensation of Force, Energy and Motion as seen in trees bent by the wind, a runner at the starting line or the slope of a mountain as it climbsinto the sky. By knowing this you can create Force, Energy and Motion with your camera easily by tilting the camera to make objects appear to be in a diagonal line. A dignified church steeple when photographed at a slant will change to a forceful arrow pointing towards the sky and show motion.


4. Curve. Here is a line of great beauty and charm and nothing gives a better example than a beautiful female form with all it’s lines and curves. Of course there are other examples: The curve in a river or a pathway through a flower garden.

5. S-Curve. This line goes further than just a plain ‘curved’ line. It is called the ‘Line Of Beauty’. It is Elastic, Variable and combines Charm and Strength. It has Perfect Grace and Perfect Balance. You have seen this ‘S’ Curve hundreds of times in drawings and paintings and other works of art.

Examples: the double curve of a river makes an ‘S’ curve. A path, row of trees or bushes that curve one way and then the other way create the ‘S’ curve. Look for this type of design and use it in your photos to add interest and beauty.

6. Leading line. The line that leads your eye in to the picture area easily like a road or fence, a shoreline or river, a row of trees or a pathway. A successful ‘Leading Line’ will lead your eye in to the picture and take it right to the Main Subject or Center of Interest.

An unsuccessful ‘Leading Line’ will take the eye in to the picture but will ZOOM the eye right out of the picture if there is no Stopper to hold the eye in the picture frame; such as a tree, house or other large object on the right hand side of the picture frame which will STOP the eye from going out of the picture. The Center of Interest or Main Subject will act as a Stopper and hold the eye in the picture frame.

The best Leading Lines will start at the Lower Left area of the picture frame but not in the exact corner. Again, the eye likes to enter a picture frame at this point and the Leading Line will help it get in to the picture easily and swiftly.

D. Implied Forms

This also hold the picture together. ‘Implied Forms are a combination of ‘Implied Lines’ and they help to hold a picture together. The eye enjoys these interesting forms and will stay in the picture area to examine each one of them, if they are present.


1. Circle. Is made up of a continuous ‘Curve’ and it’s circular movement keeps the eye in the picture frame. There are many circles in nature and man made objects and if you find them in an image before you, be sure to make good use of them in your photograph. Circles can be made up of children playing ring around the roses or a small pond or lake is usually in the form of a circle and of course many race tracks are a form of circle.

2. Triangle of Pyramid. This has a ‘solid base’ and will show Stability. It also has Height and Strength. The Pyramids of Egypt have survived for thousands of years while other types of solid buildings have crumbled in to dust in less time. A Triangle can show up in your viewfinder as three points in the scene, such as two trees on the grounds pointing to a cloud in the sky. Sometimes a fence in combination with a stream and a farm house can form the Triangle Composition.

3. Radii. Is a connection of ‘Lines’ meeting in the Center and it is also a expansion of ‘Lines’ leaving the Center. The Radii is usually found in Nature Subjects. The best example of the man made Radii is the spokes of a wheel. The eye has two ways to go when it comes upon the Radii. It can either be drawn in to the picture area or it can be led out of the picture area. You must be careful how you used the Radii and try to have the eye led into the picture.

4. Cross. A showing of ‘Opposing Force’ that will give the picture a feeling of Cohesion and Relationship. The horizontal bar of the Cross will act as a ‘stopper’ while the vertical pole can act as a leading line. The windows in a large skyscraper will form crosses and will keep your interest in the building. The Cross also has religious meaning and the subtle use of the Cross can give hidden meaning to a photograph.

5. ‘L’ or Rectangle. This makes an attractive ‘frame’. It can be used to accentuate important subjects. Many times it is a ‘frame’ within a ‘frame’. A tree with an overhanging branch at the ‘right’ side of the picture area will form a ‘Rectangle’ and help frame the Main Subject in the picture. By doing this you will make the Center of

E. Value of Colours

Colour can also help in Photo-Composition by drawing attention to the subjects and objects. The eye will always go to the ‘Brightest and Lightest’ colouris in a photograph. You must watch the play of Colours at all times and make sure they are doing what you desire in your image.

1. Value. The Value of colours are Intensity, Brightness and Luminance Factor. Thus colours are said to have Strong or Weak Values. They can be Warm or Cold, Advancing or Receding. The ‘longer wavelengths’ from Red to Yellow are usually described as Strong, Warm, Advancing colors while the ‘shorter wavelengths’, the Greens and Blues may be described as Weak, Cold and Receding colors.

Pastel colors are Quiet and Moody while Bright colours are Strong and Active. However, certain colours ‘react’ very strongly with each other to give ‘Strong Contrasts’ and to many people these will become ‘Discords’ rather than ‘Harmonies’.


2. Hue. Is the scientific counterpart for the more popular word ‘Colour’. Red, Yellow, Green and Blue are the Primary hues, while Orange, Blue-Green, and Violet are Secondary hues.

3. Complementary Colours. Colours that go with each other will Complement each other and are desirable in any painting or photograph. If you place the Primary and Secondary colours on a ‘Colour Wheel’ you will find that Red will be opposite Green; Orange will be opposite Blue and Yellow will be opposite Violet. These Opposites are Complementary Colours and can be used together to create the best Colour Harmony.

For example, a Red barn in a Green field of grass has harmony. The Blue and Orange sky of a sunset has colour harmony. Always look for Complementary Colours in the visual image you plan to photograph and use them to create better photographs.