Last Updated on July 21, 2025 by Travelationship

In the first installment of our series on photography, we discussed the three primary camera controls: Aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. If you missed it or want a refresher, check it out here. Now we will discuss framing your photo, which is often referred to as composition. Don’t let this word composition give you stress; it is nothing more than the arrangement of the items in your photo. Whether that is a group of people, a dog, a chair, or a lake and some mountains behind it, it all stems from how you choose to arrange it through the lens. A vital part of this process that often seems to be overlooked is that composition comes from what you choose to leave out of your photo, just as much as what you decide to put in it.

Let’s get started with some pretty standard tips on this subject.

Photo Composition Rules

Rule of Thirds

One of the most popular rules in photography. To such an extent that most digital cameras and smartphones can display a 3×3 grid on your screen to aid in this exercise. The basic idea behind this rule is not to stick your subject directly in the center of the frame. It just holds that photos are more interesting for the viewer when you break up the space in ratios other than by halves.

Leaving Space

The idea of “Leaving Space” plays into the Rule of Thirds quite naturally. If you are capturing a portrait of someone looking off into the distance, think about giving them a space to look into; even if what they are looking at isn’t visible. If you have a picture of someone and they are staring off to the left, don’t put the border of the photo right on top of where they are looking. Put the person on the right side of the frame and give them space to look into it. The same holds for movement; if you have a car or bicyclist moving across your image, don’t cut them off. Please give them a place to move into, and it creates a much more soothing experience for the viewer.

Fill the Frame

This requires you to make a simple decision first. For example, you see a very interesting door knocker with intricate details that catch your eye. Is the door knocker itself the exciting part, or is it the whole door or the context in which you find the door knocker? If it is just the door knocker that has caught your eye, why bother putting anything else in the frame? Fill the frame with the object that caught your eye, and your brain will fill in the rest for you when viewing the photo. Don’t waste precious space with filler; use your frame to show off all the details, and it will be a far more interesting photo.

Background

Not giving proper attention to your background has ruined more photos than anyone could ever count. You have captured a perfect image only to find out when you get home that it’s a big old mess, and you can barely discern your subject from its background. It is easy to fall into this trap; I have done it at least a billion times. Excitement or fear of missing the shot makes you take your photo with such haste that you don’t even bother to see what’s happening in the background.

Another aide to this classic blunder is that your eye can make things almost stand out on its own. In turn, the camera tends to flatten things, so you must be vigilant. If there is no good angle to stand at to free things up for your subject, consider these other two options.

1. Open up your aperture (f/1.4-2.8 works best), effectively decreasing your depth of field, allowing you to blur your background and help emphasize your subject.
2. If changing your aperture isn’t possible, you can also use a telephoto lens. Get closer to your subject so the focus isn’t at infinity, which will help blur the background.

Check Your Corners

This goes hand in hand with the background and is almost like a subset of it. Before you snap your photo, take a quick second to glance at all four of your corners. This goes a long way toward avoiding adding a floating head from a passerby to your picture or half of a no-parking sign. All unwanted bits of info that will take away from your finished product. It also goes the other way; make sure you have everything in the frame you want to capture. Both are frustrating, but leaving a crucial piece out makes me the most disappointed. Occasionally, you can get lucky and crop out a small amount, but you can’t go back and add information.

Lampposts as Hats

Of honorable mention, and always worth a comment. When taking pictures of friends or family, look for things to be sporadically sprouting from their heads; it can be unsettling. Lampposts, trees, and road signs, among others, have all appeared at inopportune moments and are easily avoided. Either you are your subject, take two steps to the left or right, and the problem is solved.

These simple guidelines will help you end up with more keepers and less disappointment. Of course, there are exceptions to all the rules, and happy accidents are great things, but they should not be counted on. Like anything, practice will only help your photography. Looking for more photography tips.

Any Questions? Comments. Did I leave something out? Please let me know, and Happy Shooting!