There are no fixed rules in photography “the only rule in photography is that there are no rules”, but there are some composition photo rules which can be applied in almost any situation, to enhance the impact of a scene.

Rule of Thirds

Imagine that your image is divided into 9 equal segments by 2 vertical and 2 horizontal lines. This rule says that you should position the most important elements in your scene along these lines, or at the points where they intersect.

Balancing Elements

Placing your main subject off-centre, can make it feel empty. Balance the ‘weight’ of the subject by including another object of lesser importance to fill the space.

Symmetry and Patterns

We are surrounded by symmetry and patterns, both natural and man-made. They can make for very eye-catching compositions.

Background

How many times have you taken what you thought would be a great shot, only to find that the final image lacks impact because the subject blends into a busy background? Thankfully this problem is usually easy to overcome at the time of shooting – look around for a plain and unobtrusive background and compose your shot or use a limited depth of field.

Lines

Our eyes are unconsciously drawn along lines in images so by thinking about how, where and why you place lines in your images will change the way your audience view it. A road, for example, starting at one end of the shot and winding it’s way to thefar end will pull the eye through the scene.

Rule of odds

For some reason, items grouped together in odds (three strawberries rather than two) give you a shot that’s more interesting.