Why I believe composition is the first thing you should learn when starting photography

In photography, composition is essentially the way that you arrange your objects within a frame. I believe that composition is the first thing you should learn when starting photography for a variety of reasons:

1.     It is the easiest of the photography skills to learn - you don’t even need a camera to learn these skills, you can just create a square with your fingers and practice composing things through it.

This image has a grid overlay to show how I have used the rule of thirds to compose my image.

2.     It’s just a set of rules – learn them. Follow them. Get a great photo.

This photo is a great example of the Leading Lines Composition Rule as the road creates a line for the viewer to follow into the image.

3.     It is all about looking and seeing – photography is all about showing things to the viewer. Learning composition rules changes the way you see things forever. The more you see, the better your photos will become.

Here I have used the trees to create a frame around the edge of the picture which draws the viewer to look at the gazebo.

4.     Create an image which will connect with the viewer – once you understand how composition works you can use it to bring certain parts of an image to the viewers’ attention, or to lead their eye around it, keeping them interested for more than just a second.  

By climbing on some rocks I was able to get a different view point to capture this baby shark who was practicing his hunting skills.

5.     Setting up a photo becomes quick and simple – You know what you are doing and have a set of rules to follow so you save time and stress when setting up to take a shot.

Depth of field can be used to create a compositional technique called negative space where a large part of the photo is seemingly empty.

6.     You start to think about what is needed – A big part of photography is knowing what to leave out of the frame. Focus on what is important and remove the rest.

Symmetry can help to create a sense of balance in an image, by photographing this temple from the corner I was able to create a symmetrical look.

7.     No more messy photos – Composition is basically organising your photos. I love organising so of course I love this.

If you want to learn more about composition please check out my downloadable Composition Book where you will learn 15 composition rules to get your photography kick started.