How I Approach Composition

Let’s Talk Composition: Rules, Choices & Guiding the Eye

Today’s topic is one you’ll find countless tutorials about — and it’s a subject that often sparks a lot of opinions: composition. In this post, I want to share my personal thoughts on the matter. But before we get into that, let’s begin with the basics:

What is composition? And why does it matter?
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, composition means “the action of putting together or combining.” It’s a simple, straightforward definition — but it immediately raises a very relevant question:

What exactly is being put together?
If you think of music, one might say that writing down notes is an act of composition. That’s not necessarily wrong. But what if those notes, when played, result in a terrible cacophony? Clearly, composition requires more than just assembling parts — it demands an artistic sensibility. Something that brings harmony and structure to what could otherwise be chaos.

I believe the same is true for photography.

Even if you can’t explain why, you’ve probably seen photos that work — and others that feel oddly off. Something is missing, or it just doesn’t “feel right.”

Why is that?

The Basics of Visual Harmony

Just like notes must be arranged in a certain order to make music (and not just noise), the elements of a photograph must be arranged in a way that feels intentional and cohesive.

Now, when I say “pleasing to the eye,” I don’t necessarily mean the photo has to be beautiful. It could be sad, tense, harsh, or even disturbing — but the visual structure still needs to make sense. So for now, let’s put emotion aside and focus purely on the structure of an image.

Most photos need a subject — something that acts as the “hero” of the frame. It could be a person, an animal, a sculpture, a tree, a building. It can stand alone, or be surrounded by other elements. So far, so good.

Here’s where things get trickier:
To highlight your subject, you need to compose your image in a way that draws attention to it. That’s where certain tried-and-true techniques come into play — the most famous being the Rule of Thirds.

You’ve probably heard of it: imagine dividing your frame into a 3×3 grid — 9 equal squares. The four intersections around the center square are “points of interest.” Placing your subject on or near one of those points often makes your photo feel balanced and intentional.

But that’s just one approach. There are many others — and I won’t go into all the rules and techniques here. My point is this:
As a photographer, it helps immensely to understand the rules, so that later you can break them on purpose.

Training Your Eye to See

Learning the rules also helps you train your eye to see like a photographer. One key idea is learning to guide the viewer’s eye.

The way you position your subject — and everything else around it — will either guide the eye or create confusion.

If you can lead the viewer’s attention toward the most important part of your photo, then you’re also more likely to tell a story and evoke an emotion.

There are techniques to support this — like leading lines, contrast, negative space, framing, and more.

If you’re curious to explore this, try looking at photos and notice:
Where does your eye go first? Where does it go next?

This happens in milliseconds — but you’ll start to recognize patterns the more you look. Some compositions flow naturally. Others don’t.

From Random Moments to Intentional Images

In the beginning — like most of us — I took photos because I wanted to capture a moment or something beautiful I saw. But more often than not, my photos didn’t turn out the way I imagined them in my head.

That’s when I started reading about composition. Gradually, my photos began to look more like what I had envisioned. They felt more complete. More intentional.

I’m still learning. I still experiment. And yes, I do sometimes break the rules — but these days, I know why I’m breaking them. That’s the difference. The choice is conscious, not random.

I’ve learned that no matter what technique you’re using (or not using), you should always ask yourself:

What do I want to show?

Why do I want to take this photo?

What’s interesting about this scene or subject?

When you find the answer, you’ve likely found your “hero” — and maybe even a story.

And when I say “story,” I don’t necessarily mean something deep and philosophical. It could be something simple or even silly. The point is: your photo should have a focus, and your viewer should know what it is. They shouldn’t feel confused about where to look. (They can feel other emotions — even discomfort — but that’s a different topic.)

In Conclusion

I’m still learning the rules and techniques of composition — but I no longer feel obligated to follow them all the time. When I break a rule, I do it with purpose. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t. That’s part of the journey.

So my advice is simple:

Learn the rules. Use them.

And when it feels right, break them.

They’re guidelines — not commandments.

(Pun very much intended. 😄)