Summary: Posing and understanding photography posing ideas is essential is helpful in understanding portrait composition. Portrait composition is a purely subjective exercise. There is no “right way/wrong way” of composition, but there are helpful guidelines and suggestions that will lead you to success. Learn tips and techniques from a veteran portrait photographer as you develop your own portrait style.

Portrait composition is what makes photograph appealing. You can’t touch it, but good composition can be felt. The intersection of lines, angles and depth that captures the imagination also pleases the eye.  Composition in portrait photography captures the essence of the subject and reveals the spirit.

A portrait photographer controls all aspects of composition.  Portraits can be framed in the camera’s viewfinder to include the entire head while using the shoulders as a base or anchor for the traditional portrait pose.  Experimenting with composition during the portrait session is essential to success. Don’t be timid about changing and varying your composition.

Inspirational viewing

We are surrounded with images every day in every way.  Television, DVDs, publications and the internet are visually driven products.  Those images

A look of wonder reflected in a window pane.

Next time you are browsing the bookstore or supermarket magazine racks, check out publications that are photo driven. Look closely at the photographs and study them to see if you can sense why a photograph triggers feelings and emotions.  Put yourself behind the lens and imagine how you might have composed the same photo. Exercises like these can expand your range and lead to developing your personal photographic style.

Composition “rules”

Use imaginary dividing lines to better understand the Rule of Thirds when composing a photograph. This composition technique creates a negative space that is pleasing to the eye. Zoom

An often referred to rule of composition is the “rule of thirds”. It asks that you imagine the viewfinder is divided into thirds, vertically and horizontally. It creates four points that intersect. Place your subject where the lines intersect, instead of in the center of the frame.

Another and very popular portrait composition rule is called the “golden triangle”.  It mimics the pyramid shape involving the point between the eyes and positioning of the arms to complete the triangle.  Use it sparingly, but to your advantage if you feel the need to offer variation or draw attention away from blemishes or wrinkles.

When composing a photo, scan the camera viewfinder to see what is included in your composition.  The composition as you see it in the viewfinder is referred to as a “camera crop” in photographer’s jargon.
 

Zoom away

Nearly all portrait photographers depend on the use of a short to medium length telephoto lens.  Those lenses offer a pleasing foreshortening effect that gives subjects a natural and undistorted perspective.

Most new cameras, including film and digital cameras, are equipped with a zoom lens that allows you to change the photo’s composition while remaining stationary.  Experiment with the zoom to compose a pleasing composition in your viewfinder.

Keys to success:
• Experiment with composition
• Seek inspiration
• “Rules” of composition
• Zoom in and out

There is no “right way” or “wrong way” to compose a photo. Some classic portraits break all of the so-called rules of composition.  Still, smart and effective management of the viewfinder will lead to good composition.