Portrait Composition

Portrait composition in photography is really not that much different from picture composition in art or even subject composition in general.

It just requires an awareness of the principles in the first place, and once the guidelines are part of your thinking, they will become second nature to you. Then you can trust to your instincts and strong composition will come naturally to you.

Think of these next two tips as guiding principles, not rules, and let them help you develop your innate sense of design. If you want to go back and read the first four tips regarding photographic composition in general, click on the link.

Photographic Composition
Chinese Photographer Li Jin in Dalian (Photo: Anne Darling)

The first of these photography tips looks at how to position your subject. Most people place the subject right in the middle of the frame but try something a little different next time.

In the photograph above, I have purposefully chosen to place my subject off-centre. This gives a more dynamic feel to the composition.

Also, if your subject is facing facing out of the picture it creates an interesting tension within the picture. Experiment with your subject facing both in to and out of the photo.

Including the background gives context and information about your subject, such as where they live or work.

If there are areas of interest in the backbround that you wish to include, be sure to choose the highest number f-stop so that the depth of field is maximised. That way you will have uniform sharpness and everything will be in focus.

Carefully position the head of your subject so that the background does not detract.

Photographic Composition
Canal-side Dweller, Shaoxing Street Vendor, China (Photo: Anne Darling)

One of the simplest photography tips to improve portrait composition without using any equipment out of the ordinary, is to place your subject within a natural framework such as a doorway when creating formal and informal portraits.

Using a frame in this way helps to keep the eye within the photograph as well as presenting your subject well.

If you are using a doorway try to balance the exposure to include some of the detail in the interior.

In the photograph below the subject has been 'caught' within the frame, and the composition is also enhanced by very strong diagonal lines which zig-zag rhythmically across the photo.

The straight lines within the photographic composition are balanced by the curved arch of the sampan. Geometrical shapes can be pleasing to the eye if positioned well.

Photographic Composition
Sampan Boatman Street Vendor, China (Photo: Anne Darling