Picture composition - an introduction

My artist friends describe me as an "intuitive" photographer relying on instinct in designing a picture rather than on traditional formulas. Many people don't need rules: their results have a natural balance and order.

However, I have indicated some approaches that may be helpful in designing pictures. These are guidelines only, to be broken, added to, played with and adapted. Some of the commonest pitfalls in composition are: (a) centring the main subject, where it is most visually boring; (b) leading the eye out of the photograph; (c) failing to adequately isolate the main subject. But even these "faults" can be used to telling effect. Remember that strict adherence to the compositional rules may ultimately stifle creativity. The aim is always to take photos that look good.

Lines will lead the eye just as train tracks vanishing into the distance do. Ask yourself when you are composing your picture where you wish to lead the viewer - away into the distance, up into the sky - and use the natural lines of buildings or trees, rivers or pathways to take the viewer on a journey into your picture. The major beach and wave-break lines lines in this picture lead the eye and the mind on a long wandering walk by the sea.

Rule of thirds - A rectangle is divided into thirds horizontally and vertically, and the elements of the picture, focus points, horizons, subjects are arranged along the lines and intersections of the grid.

Isolation - When the colour of the subject is too close to a similar colour in the background, the subject will lose its potency. Try to ensure the colour that is dominant is exactly that. This image of the parrot shows the foliage merging with the bird's plumage, there is no clear distinction between the subject and the background. Communication in a picture can also be distorted by merges between individual subjects or subjects and borders.

Framing - A frame will give a sense of scale and limit to a picture. It can accentuate the feeling the viewer has as an observer.

Space - An image composed to include the surrounds may give meaningful detail to make the picture more interesting but sometimes, too much space can lead to the subject being swamped and a closer perspective would be better.