Composition

Today we take a look at something that might seem simple, but it’s a key component to making great images.
Composition!
In the past I’ve shared about the Rule of Thirds, now I teach the concept of The Grid!
Think of a Tic-Tac-Toe grid.
Now imagine the lines of the game being overlaid onto the canvas of any image.
Main subjects need to be placed where the 4 lines intersect to have visual impact.
Viewers are naturally lead to these 4 areas.
In fact, the worst place to have your subject is dead center.
Visually speaking, the center is the most boring placement for subjects.
So, I encourage my students to look to the outside squares of the Tic-Tac-Toe grid for better composition.
The habit of placing the subject in the middle comes from the focusing mechanism being centered.
It’s a hard habit to break, but with practice, better composition comes from a lot of practice.
In today’s photo, my daughter is in the upper left of the grid area.
This example shows how this type of placement creates a stronger, more visually appealing image.
Practice seeing the grid in all of your images and you’ll notice how much stronger your images start becoming.
Be inspired!

Michael worked as a photojournalist in southern California for 20 plus years and has taught photojournalism at UCLA. He currently is an adjunct professor at Cal Baptist University in Riverside, CA where he teaches photography. He is the author of, “Take Better Photos Now!”
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