How To Take a Square Photo with Strong Composition Elements

Visual poetry, no other title could be more appropriate for the art of photography. Just as there is no wrong way to write a poem, there is no wrong way to take a photograph. However, just as truly excellent poetry follows some pattern of rhyme, rhythm, or meter, so does truly excellent photography have structures of its own.

The most simple structure or element used in composing a basic square photo is the rule of thirds. Visualize the image divided, both vertically and horizontally, into thirds. Rather than placing the subject in the center of the frame, set it in one or two thirds of the frame. Related to this is the concept of dominant thirds. Dominant thirds requires that the photographer decide whether the subject or background should take the most space in the image and allow that element two thirds of the available space.  This offsets the audience’s natural focus and creates a more visually intriguing photograph.

Once the subject has been placed, focus can be decided. Focus can add or subtract depth within the image, depending on the photographer’s intent. The photographer may choose to emphasize his or her subject by focusing on it directly in order to separate it from the background. But the photographer may also choose to give the subject a context by focusing on its surroundings. Each camera has different focus settings and tools; these are especially different between SLR and digital cameras. The photographer must know his or her camera and become very familiar with said settings.

Another important element is contrast. Contrast comes in many forms: color contrast, light and dark, and content contrast.

• Color contrast is reasonably self-explanatory, colors that oppose or stand out against one another and the background are always more visually captivating than bland colors without any real identity.
• Light and dark asks the photographer to play with shadows. To do this, if shooting indoors, one may shine a light on the subject at an angle to create interesting shadows and highlight certain areas of the image. If shooting outdoors, the photographer must place his or herself at an angle that best accents the sun's natural light and shadows. Generally, the soft light and long shadows of the dawn and twilight hours are best for this.
• Content contrast advises the photographer to offset the subject with its opposite, such as a short person to a tall, a fruit to a vegetable, a boy to a girl, etc.

A photographer can constantly improve their art, just as a poet does. Of course, there are many other elements to good photography than the ones offered today, but a start with proper use of focus, thirds, and contrast will drastically improve any photography.