Composing with Feeling: How I Frame My Photos

To be fair, composition is something I’m still exploring and learning. Nevertheless, I feel I can contribute with some of my experience on the topic.

To start with, I’m inspired by many photographers and artists. When I’m out and about, I seem to carry a mental catalogue of photos, images, and paintings that serve as a constant source of inspiration. I often associate a scene with a work I’ve seen somewhere in my life. Sometimes it’s not the actual scene of a piece, but rather the emotion it evokes — or a feeling I’ve attached to that work — that resonates with the scene before me.

I’ll admit that I use the rule of thirds in the majority of my photos. Still, there are images where I’ve completely disregarded that rule—or maybe any rule at all. Sometimes that works, and sometimes it doesn’t. For me, the main goal is to guide the viewer’s eye toward what I feel is important in the scene, in any way possible.

Sometimes the “hero” of the photo is light itself; the way it creates drama or beauty, regardless of the subject or object. And then there are scenes where I don’t have to think too much about how to compose; the composition simply reveals itself to the camera. I just happen to be in the right place at the right time.

There are also times when the composition is clear in my mind, but it’s technically difficult to get the shot. Something might block the view, it might be impossible to zoom in enough, or it’s hard to get physically close to the subject. My solution is usually to look for new angles. But if no new angle can do justice to the image I have in mind, I try to get as close as I can and crop the image later. It’s not my favorite approach, but sometimes it’s the best way to preserve the composition I want.

As I continue to learn and experiment with composition, I also trust my instincts and allow myself creative freedom. Sometimes I capture exactly what I hoped for. Other times, I surprise myself with something unexpected. And of course, there are days when I wonder why I even brought my camera in the first place. But that’s all part of the learning-by-doing process.

In conclusion, I think it’s important to study the rules of composition because they genuinely help you take better photos. But the rules aren’t the point—the photo is. And if that means breaking the rules or inventing your own, so be it. What matters is that the photo speaks to you.