Composing a Portrait

By John A Burton

This article merely aims to highlight the key “rules” of composition, and focuses primarily on a head and shoulders portrait of a single sitter.

Principle point of interest

Any image requires a principal point of interest, and in a portrait this is usually the subject’s eyes.

The principal point of interest should not be dead centre in the frame: this is too static and symmetrical. Imagine a line running through the subject’s eyes, and another at 90° running through their nose and chin to form a cross. The best position for this cross is slightly above the horizontal middle of the frame, and slightly to the left or right of the vertical middle.

Whether the cross is slightly to the left or right depends on which direction the subject is looking. If they are looking to the left, there should be more background to the left, so the cross is placed the the right of centre. Conversely, if they are looking to the right, the cross should be placed to the left. This helps prevent the viewer’s eye from being drawn out of the picture when it follows the subjects sight line.

When the subject is facing directly towards the camera, consider the direction of the shoulders. Here the aim should be to have a little more space in front of the subject rather than behind them. So, if the right shoulder is nearest the camera, frame the shot so their eyes are also right of centre.

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20 Beginner Tips For Taking Digital Photography

Digital cameras are one of the greatest inventions of modern times. We are so fortunate to have this modern convenience called Digital Photography. To be able to capture a precious moment or beautiful scene at the click of a button, is something we should not take for granted.

Many beginners find digital photography rather challenging and rightly so. Today, more and more digital cameras are being created and it seems like the more digital cameras they make, the more difficult they become to use.

I own a Canon Powershot S3 IS. I purchased this digital camera about a year ago and I still haven’t utilized all of the awesome little features this camera has to offer. Now you may not want or even need a camera with tons of features. It really depends on the type of pictures you plan on taking.

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