THE ART OF COMPOSITION

Improve your images by discovering all of the essential skills, techniques and tricks you need to ensure you get the composition right every time

Have you ever wondered why some pictures just look 'right', while others don't? The answer ? almost always lies in the composition, which relates to the positioning and relationships between areas and focal points in the subject you're shooting. An understanding of how composition works is the single most important thing you need to know to improve your images.

Composition is a combination of art, a little bit of science, and a significant sprinkling of 'gut feeling. Here you'll discover all the rules and techniques that you need to know to improve your composition skills, and learn how to use them, and how they affect your images.

While we can't teach you the 'gut feeling' bit, simply getting out there and using these composition techniques will help you discover which ones work for you and the subjects you're shooting. Even if you already instinctively 'know' when an image looks right, learning about the rules of composition will only add to your skills, and help you to create more dynamic and striking images.

THE BASICS

Achieve balance and form by using these simple techniques in your shots

Identifying and positioning the main subject, and other focal points, in your image is at the heart of good composition. Get this wrong, and you'll simply end up with an unbalanced, awkward and unfulfilling image that will never look quite 'right'.