A portrait’s composition is the sum of how you place all the parts within it: use of the edges of the frame, use of shapes within the frame, the prominence of any foreground/background details, the position of the subject within the frame, even the shape of the frame itself.

Using And Breaking The Rules

There are hundreds of guidelines and ‘rules’ for composition in photography. In general, these are intended to create attractive compositions. Depending on your desired intentions, you may want to achieve something else entirely. In addition, relentless applying the Rule of Thirds or The Golden Ratio to every shoot will inhibit your creativity and result in images that look repetitive and uninspiring. Developing your own compositional style will help set you apart from other photographers, so learn these rules but also experiment with (intentionally) breaking them.

A Portrait of Two Halves

When Liv and Hannah turned up in opposite-coloured tops I had to adapt from my usual tendency towards portraits with ... Read More

Composition for book design

When book author Sarah Virág commissioned a set of headshots for her new book, I had no idea how her ... Read More

Telling Stories with Composition

Shooting families with young children? Accompanying everyone on a walk allows you to capture relaxed shots like this one, with ... Read More

Golden Spiral Curve In Portraits

The Golden Spiral is a compositional tool that helps you create more high-impact portraits. Here's how I used foreground foliage ... Read More

Four Ways To Crop A Portrait

To crop, or not to crop? For all portraits other than full-length ones, you have to decide whereabouts on your ... Read More

Who ‘Nose’ The Rules?

The ‘nose room’ rule & ‘cheekline' rule are are rules about noses in portraits that you need to know, even ... Read More

Portrait Blocks & Stabilisers

Why you need wider shots to help you sell wall portraits, and how to place elements in your composition so ... Read More

Placing The MD In The Middle

Positioning your subject in the middle of the frame can appear unimaginative. Here, I've made sure it's a bold choice, ... Read More

Farmhouse Rule-Of-Thirds Portrait

Sometimes the best portraits start unplanned - in this case, during a shoot break. I saw a patch of light, ... Read More

Family In A Frame Within A Frame

Frames within the edges of your image are a powerful way to strengthen your composition. Go one step further by ... Read More