Found in the ice on Lake Superior’s North Shore before sunrise, shaped as if someone had planned it.
How do we compose an image? Are there rules to composition?
“Composition must be one of our constant preoccupations, but at the moment of shooting it can stem only from our intuition.”
— Henri Cartier-Bresson
Thank you very much for sharing your work with the LuLa community. It’s a joy to see everyone’s take on Composition. Composition turned out to be a much bigger conversation than just the rule of thirds.
To start out this conversation, here are the most mentioned “top 10” tips of composing.
PHOTO TIP
- Rule of thirds. Place the main subject along the 3×3 grid lines or intersections for a more dynamic frame.
- Leading lines. Use roads, edges, paths, fences, or shadows to guide the eye toward the subject.
- Symmetry and patterns. Look for repeating shapes or mirrored scenes for visual impact and order.
- Framing. Use doors, windows, branches, or arches to frame the subject and isolate it.
- Balance. Arrange visual weight so one side of the image doesn’t feel too heavy or too empty.
- Fill the frame. Move closer or crop tighter so the subject dominates and distractions disappear.
- Negative space. Leave empty space around the subject to help it stand out and set the mood.
- Viewpoint. Change your angle, shoot from high, low, the side, or behind, to make the scene feel fresh.
- Depth. Include foreground, middle ground, and background so the photo feels three-dimensional.
- Background control. Watch the background closely so nothing distracting competes with the subject.
August Show & Tell: Reflections
Water, glass, chrome, a puddle after the rain. Reflections double a scene and change it at the same time. Show us where you found one.
Hitting the button below opens an email to our team, just attach your photo and hit send.
Click any image to view it full size.
Mark Feldman
A calligraphic composition, quiet but full of tension, shot on a Canon 5DII in the rain. Mid-shoot, the camera gave out entirely. A half hour with a hair dryer brought it back to life for the next day.
LuLa: Glad it was revived!
Frank Winters
This corner is never empty. So glad it was, when the light was this good. Glad to have been there.
LuLa: There’s a peacefulness in the lines and natural light. A perfect setting for a cup of coffee!
Tom Oldfield
This may be a stretch for the Rule of Thirds. Getting a five-by-seven camera into the restroom of a working factory was the hard part. Taken during a photography weekend they no longer allow.
Ron Croft
A road through southwest geology. A trail along Hadrian’s Wall. A walking path across the Moors in England. Different continents, the same instinct for a line that pulls the eye through the frame.
LuLa: It feels like we can walk into the landscape.
Nancy Jacob
No thirds. No seconds. As is. Vintage Dri-Ki, Northern Maine.
LuLa: An exciting scroll!
Peter Campbell
Both images use the rule of thirds to some degree, without consciously thinking about it while shooting. The slope of the dunes leads the eye to a weathered branch, and the clouds were positioned to lead down to it too. Shot on Fuji Provia film.
Lorin Duckman
Weekly photo walks at Loxahatchee cover almost the same ground, different trails, but they never look the same. Nature frames the scene. Foreground, middle ground, background.
Tony Guinn
Titled Chaos. Taken from a moving car turning off Constitution Avenue, iPhone 12 Pro, Live View with Long Exposure.
LuLa: Great take.
Matt Kaarma
Stumbled on this scene exploring the side streets of Wollongong. The divergent scale of the figures, the repeating rectangles, and a road sign leading the eye into the center of the frame all work together.
Alan Hunt
The sand ripples and receding tide one morning on Hilton Head. A different view of a sunflower. And the massive mining shovel on display near the Hull-Rust-Mahoning Open Pit Mine, a three-image HDR with heavy post-processing to remove distractions.
Portfolio: alanhunt.myportfolio.com
Ian Porter
The curved lines of the boats’ hulls lead the eye into the scene. As the sun broke through on a hazy day, the boats’ vibrant colors stood out against the muted background tones. Leica R6, 21mm f4 Super-Angulon, Fuji Velvia film.
Terry Jones
Alan Johnston
A mile-long disused railway tunnel from the 1870s, now a cycling and walking track just outside Bath. No light at the end of, rather entirely lit.
Bob Taylor
Contentment. A slow walk along the beach with your dog as the sun rises, painting everything in its fresh light.
Mike Rank
Photographed in August 2024, about nine months before the devastating fire that closed access to Point Sublime. It may be one of the last sunset shots taken from there.
Raf
Shot in a moment of silence in early spring on a slope over the Souris River. Back to the river, the moon, and a foreground of grasses, felt part of a glowing line between sky and water. The last shot before heading back to camp.
August Show & Tell: Reflections
Water, glass, chrome, a puddle after the rain. Reflections double a scene and change it at the same time. Show us where you found one.
Hitting the button below opens an email to our team, just attach your photo and hit send.
Chuck Derus
Mark Feldman
West Coast of Oregon
Frank Winters
Olympia Coffee Roasters
Tom Oldfield
Gladding McBean Factory
Ron Croft
Bridge to the Tetons
Ron Croft
Road through Southwest U.S Geology
Ron Croft
Ron Croft
Walking path across the Moors in England
Nancy Jacob
Northern Maine
Peter Campbell
Yeagarup Dunes, Western Australia
Peter Campbell
Yeagarup Dunes, Western Australia
Lorin Duckman
Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge
Tony Guinn
United States Capitol
Matt Kaarma
Wollongong, Australia
Alan Hunt
Hilton Head Island
Alan Hunt
Alan Hunt
Hull-Rust-Mahoning Mine, Hibbing, MN
Ian Porter
Phewa Tal, Pokhara, Nepal
Terry Jones
Alan Johston
Combe Down Tunnel, Bath, UK
Bob Taylor
Mike Rank
Mike Rank
Point Sublime, North Rim, Grand Canyon National Park
Raf
Souris Valley, Manitoba, Canada
The gallery scrolls automatically, but you can navigate anytime using the left and right arrows.
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