The Benefits Centered Compositions Can Have on Your Photos

Most photographers know the rule of thirds and have heard that centered compositions are something to be avoided. However, this insightful video embraces centered compositions and makes a strong case for why they're sometimes a great idea.

Coming to you from Hk Visuals, this great video explores the idea of centered compositions and how they can make for interesting photos. I've personally always loved centered compositions and find them quite pleasing in a lot of cases, and I think the video makes an especially compelling case for centered portraits using wide angle lenses. By using a wide angle lens, you can include much more of a visually compelling scene, and placing the subject in the center of the foreground can really give them an almost superhero, larger-than-life sort of feel. And as the video details, while the rule of thirds is a good heuristic guideline, if you're just applying it blindly without thought as to why you've chosen that composition over another, it's not doing you any more good than any other option would, and you may be missing out on a more unique and interesting composition. Check out the video above for the full rundown. 

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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2 Comments

There are no 'rules' - each image is unique and must be approached individually... Centered compositions can work beautifully for many subjects!!

I center a lot I know Joel Grimes is big on centered also
agree no rules but nature some things do look better than others especially in design

for fun look up golden ratio if you have not heard of it before :)