8 Best Photography Composition Techniques to Take Better Photos

Have you been trying to master your camera's manual settings and learn about aperture, shutter speed and ISO?
The truth is that these camera settings, while important, are not the main things you should worry about when it comes to taking visually striking photos.
This is where composition techniques come in! If you learn how to master photography composition, then it'll instantly improve your photos whether you're shooting on a DSLR camera, mirrorless or an iPhone.
In today's video, we'll be cover 8 key photography composition techniques and tips including the rule of thirds composition. While this is a "rule", rules are often made to be broken!
To elevate your photography, we'll be covering the following compositional techniques:
1. Framing: This will create a frame around your subject in a scene and provide a greater level of context to help you tell a story through an image.
2. Leading lines: You can use the "lines" in your scene to draw attention to a specific point in your photography. It's also a great way to add a sense of depth to your photographs.
3. Symmetry: This is a very powerful technique in photography. We're drawn to symmetry and balance as human beings. Look for opportunities to create a sense of "symmetry" within your scene.
4. Negative space: While this won't work for every scene, the idea here is to leave a lot of negative space around your main subject. It should ultimately evoke certain emotions, whether it's a sense of tranquility or mystery.
6. Contrast: This is another powerful technique because when you begin contrasting certain elements, it'll create a stronger visual impact. The most common types would be tonal and color contrast, second to that would be conceptual contrast.
7. Patterns: The use of pattens and repetition can be extremely eye-catching when shot well. You can turn a mundane scene into something really powerful in photography.
8. Depth of field: Depth of field allows you to define the foreground and the background when you decide on focusing on a particular point in your scene.
9. Shadows: Don't be afraid of the shadows! When shot well, you can incorporate the other composition techniques to draw attention to a particular area in your photo.
00:00 Introduction
00:37 What is Composition?
00:50 What is the Rule of Thirds?
01:13 1. Framing Technique
01:52 2. Leading Lines Technique
02:20 3. Symmetry Technique
02:54 4. Negative Space Technique
03:20 5. Contrast Technique
03:55 6. Patterns Technique
04:33 7. Depth of Field Technique
05:11 8. Shadows Technique
05:53 Conclusion
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[@sunny16shop]

What's your go-to compositional technique that you always use? Let us know below! 👇

[@genghis2510]

I've been taking photos for nearly a lifetime and it's nice to be reminded once more of the most important aspect in the art of photography - composition.

[@sunny16shop]

So happy you found this helpful! And yes, even once you’ve mastered these techniques, it’s always a good thing to brush up on your composition. We’re so glad you loved it! Stay tuned for more ☺️☺️

[@WhitecatProject]

Liked that you added examples even from movies since these are easier to spot and identify. Thanks!

[@sunny16shop]

Glad you found it helpful! We’ll be sure to include more film references in future videos too 🙃

[@KeAiFu]

Always good to remind on the basics! Short video, but comprehensive and informative.

[@sunny16shop]

We're glad you found it useful!

[@bioliv1]

What a gem! Subscribed, with all notifications on 🙂

[@sunny16shop]

Thank you! We’re so happy you found it helpful! We’ll be uploading new videos regularly so thanks for the sun and support 🎉🎉

[@Desi.sinner]

This was so helpful!! Thank you

[@sunny16shop]

Hey there! We're so glad that it was helpful. Thanks for the comment and support! More helpful photography videos on the way soon :-)

[@JohnChubbSr]

This is great! 3rds and leading lines are what I use mostly, but using these in different combinations is fascinating. These ideas are beneficial, thanks!!!

[@sunny16shop]

Glad it was helpful! That's correct - not everything is just one thing of course. The whole idea is that you can easily combine any of these techniques (along with lighting / angles) to create more dynamic photography. You can easily mix patterns + contrast which would make a photography more interesting vs. just using patterns. Stay tuned for more videos! :)

[@mohsenmcqueen]

Great tips, Thank you...

[@sunny16shop]

We’re happy you found these composition techniques valuable! Be sure to save it for future reference 🙃

[@adventurecoalition3690]

This was great 👍 thx for the information with examples

[@sunny16shop]

Glad it was helpful!

[@pierresakr1811]

Great Explanation , Thank you .

[@sunny16shop]

You’re very welcome! We’re happy that you liked these composition tips 🙌🎉

[@mikegigabyte2551]

Nice man ty

[@sunny16shop]

Of course! We’re glad you found it helpful 🙌

[@larshultberg6972]

Great video. Thanks a lot.

[@sunny16shop]

Hey Lars! Of course, we’re so happy that you found it helpful 😊

[@wisconsinfarmboy9232]

Good stuff, will check out your other work

[@sunny16shop]

Sounds great!

[@ks5950]

Helpful, thank you...

[@sunny16shop]

You’re very welcome! We’ll be releasing videos weekly on photography techniques (like composition) so thanks for the sub! 🙌🙌

[@geoffreyspencer4052]

Really enjoyed watching, thank you.

[@sunny16shop]

You're welcome! We're so glad you found this helpful! :)

[@RandyTaylor_1969]

@Sunny16shop, thank you for this reminder of the basics!! I'm new to photography, but I'm determined!! 😂 I WILL master at least 30 of the compositional techniques. So far I''m about halfway there. Thank you again and stay safe. Personally, I'm looking forward to countless more of your clear, concise, easy to understand photography videos. 😎 BTW . . . Hit the like, subscribed, and shared the video.

[@sunny16shop]

Glad you found it helpful! These are just some compositional techniques and you can always combine them to create striking visuals. Good luck! 👍

[@rajendrabhise2851]

Thank you very much ❣️.

[@sunny16shop]

Of course! We’re so glad you found it valuable 🎉❤

[@thilinaalagiyawanna3680]

Thank you

[@sunny16shop]

You're welcome! Glad you found our composition tips helpful :)

[@kgopinathan2148]

That's a nice one.❤

[@sunny16shop]

Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@allenschneider1847]

Such a wonderful and helpful video. Thanks!

[@sunny16shop]

Thank you Allen! It makes us so happy that you found these composition techniques helpful! These techniques apply to any camera you’re using, including an iPhone! Stay tuned for more videos ☺️☺️

[@allenschneider1847]

@@sunny16shop I've been an amateur photographer since I was 16 yrs old (I'm now 70). My 1st camera (which I earned working in a camera shop) was a Minolta SLR. I'm presently trying to decide on a new camera. The contenders are: nikon z6, fugi xt4 or xh2 (will consider xpro4 if they change the LCD), OM 1, and Sony a7c. I'm leaning towards either OM 1 or XH2. Look forward to seeing more of your videos.

[@sunny16shop]

@@allenschneider1847 Wow, that’s amazing! The Minolta SLR is still a great camera too. They OM 1 is an excellent camera, but we’re big fans of the Sony a7 series cameras (a7s, a7r, etc). While the ergonomics aren’t the best, they make up for it with the stellar video and photo quality. You can’t go wrong with any of those choices! And yes, stay tuned for more videos on the way 😊

[@Nicky411]

Excellent

[@sunny16shop]

Thank you so much 😀

[@cgcsantelices]

Very informative video! Can you also make one about Mirror less vs. DSLR? Thank you!!!

[@sunny16shop]

Glad you found it informative! Yes, definitely! We’ll let the team know about this video idea. There’s a lot of key differences between mirrorless cameras and DSLRs. Thanks for the suggestion! 👏👏

[@garciaespinelijenamae153]

quick and deep

[@sunny16shop]

Thanks for the comment! We do our best :)

[@CC.cinematics]

Nice..subscribed

[@sunny16shop]

Thank you for the sub! More photography technique videos on the way 🚀🙌

[@CC.cinematics]

@@sunny16shop do consider checking out my content 😁

[@Thaaiprasaath]

❤

[@sunny16shop]

Thanks for the comment and sub! ❤❤

[@sujitbajracharya8339]

Pretty cool cheat

[@sunny16shop]

We’re glad you found these composition techniques helpful! 🔥

[@kunal3795]

Eminem teaches photography now????

[@sunny16shop]

😂😂 We’ll let him know you said that! And yes 🎶🎶

[@syedsyahmiyy0444]

😂😂

[@gilarantarfallah1352]

Hacked i guess

[@sunny16shop]

Thanks for the comment Gilar! Who got hacked?

[@fungiformenow]

This is all largely unnecessary. Adjust the picture to suit you before taking it

[@sunny16shop]

Thanks for the tip!

[@JoeJRLaw]

👍🏻😎😊😊🇭🇰

[@sunny16shop]

Glad you found it helpful!