Composition

Rule of thirds:

The rule of thirds is a grid of made up of two horizontal lines and two vertical lines and two used as a guideline to align different sections of an image. A horizon is a good and easy example because the bottom line will sit onto the horizon making the proportion of the image a lot better and easier to make sure the rule of thirds is followed correctly. The rule of thirds makes sure that everything in the image isn’t in one corner and gives it more balance and gives each part of the image its own section to bring it all together and look a lot better.

Triangles:

The triangles rule is mainly more powerful whilst taking portraits as you can position every person correctly to create triangles, which helps to draw the attention towards the subject and boosts the composition. This rule is used as a great way of combining different compositional techniques which helps to make a more interesting and structured photograph. It makes the photographs more stable and less unstructured. 

Rule of even and odd:

The rule of even and odd is used to make the image easier on the eye, for example a portrait of 3 or 5 people would make the photograph more balanced. An odd number of items draws a person’s attention and makes the photograph more attractive. If there is 3 objects/people in a photograph a person would focus on the middle object, to the left then to the right. The rule of odds does not always apply if the photographer is creating the perfect shot with an even number of objects, but otherwise it makes the photograph look better.

Leading lines:

Leading lines are lines within a photograph that lead the eyes to the main point of the image; they usually start at the bottom and lead the eye upwards. Roads or paths are usually the easiest to find leading lines but can be creating any way possible. Photographers use leading lines to guide the viewer to the main point of the photograph, which makes it more interesting.

Looking and space:

This rule is used to give the subject you are photographing breathing room and space to look and give space as the name of the rule suggests. If the subject is focusing on something off camera, although this focusing point is not visible it is important to give some space to look into. This helps to create a better image as it gives the subject more space to focus.