There are many rules and conventions when it comes to photographic composition. Many have their roots in fine art, and some, such as the rule of thirds, are widely taught in mainstream education, including books, magazines and basic photographic guides. This base set of protocols, also incorporating leading lines and natural frames, provide a means of quickly arranging a busy scene and standardising our images. They ensure that all of our photographs appeal to the fundamental visual structure we as humans find attractive, yielding greater audience engagement.
Yet even these strategies can become stilted if overused, or when employed as a justification for an image. Many inexperienced photographers use compositional devices as a subject in themselves, which can result in vast numbers of repetitive, uninspiring shots. Composition is therefore another…
