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Rules of Composition
Rating: 4.6 out of 5(24 ratings)
184 students

Rules of Composition

Created byDavid Wells
Last updated 11/2017
English

What you'll learn

  • Use framing, angles, shadows, color and patterns to create a great shot

Course content

1 section • 11 lectures • 2h 17m total length

  • Rule of Thirds17:15

    Apply the rule of thirds to divide the frame into nine parts and place the main subject at the intersections, guiding energy, movement, and viewer navigation while avoiding dead center.

  • Simplicity8:15

    Embrace simplicity by isolating the subject, sometimes centering for impact, using the rule of thirds, and relying on shallow depth of field rather than fixing in post.

  • Framing8:46

    Frame your subject using dark space or other non-distracting elements to guide the viewer's attention to the main subject, and practice with window frames, arches, and other framing devices.

  • Angles15:47

    Explore how camera angles—from above like a giraffe to below like a dog—shape narrative, evoke emotion, and empower you to experiment with the same subject from multiple perspectives.

  • Leading Lines13:50

    Leading lines and leading lights guide viewers toward the subject using straight, diagonal, or curved lines and light to direct attention across the frame, with examples from factories and parks.

  • Shadows and Silhouettes12:21

    Explore how shadows and silhouettes shape mood and storytelling in photography, learn to expose for bright backgrounds, position subjects, and analyze light sources for dramatic images.

  • Use of Color13:11

    Use color to shape the image narrative by employing contrasting colors, warm and cold palettes, or single-color compositions to guide attention, mood, and viewer emphasis.

  • Patterns and Textures8:31

    Learn to use patterns and textures to compose compelling images, from repeating architectural lines to tactile textures, and practice depth of field and framing to emphasize patterns.

  • Portraits18:05

    Master portrait photography by keeping the subject in sharp focus with controlled depth of field, and use leading lines, rules of thirds, and environmental portraits to tell a narrative.

  • Landscapes19:33

    Explore landscape photography by evaluating place, lines, movement, and time of day; balance horizon and sky, control depth of field, and use a tripod and nd filter to optimize exposure.

  • Closing1:36

    Learn to analyze master photography by studying leading lines, rules of thirds, and other compositional tools, then apply these techniques to create powerful, dramatic images.

Requirements

  • You should have access to a digital camera

Description

Your camera is a machine that sees differently than your eye, which means that sometimes a photograph will not turn out the way you might expect. The eleven lessons in Rules of Composition work separately and combined with each other to help you develop your own signature style. Maybe you want to create a sense of frenzy within the image, pushing the viewer’s eye to dart back and forth and up and down within the frame. Perhaps the story you want to tell is framed in such a way to convey a subject who is completely alone and unobserved, or perhaps the opposite, challenging the camera with humor, hostility or irony. Learn how different colors can create different moods. Develop easy to learn techniques to make your subject appear tiny and powerless or bold and dominate. And then of course, there is lots of fun in breaking the rules once you know them.

Who this course is for:

  • Any photographer, beginner or expert, who wants to use composition rules to improve their technique

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