Photography & Image Rights
02 / Image Construction & Composition
Key question
Where is the important information?
A good image guides the eye. It reveals what matters and leaves out what distracts. Composition is about choosing your framing, viewpoint and the arrangement within the image, long before you press the shutter.
Learning objective: You can use framing, perspective, and composition rules purposefully and break them deliberately.
Composition begins with your feet.
2.1 / Framing and Perspective
Get closer, look differently.
The most impactful choice is made with your feet: moving closer, standing lower, or standing higher.
01
Neckline
Wide shot, mid shot, close-up. The closer you get, the more personal and clearer it becomes.
02
Perspective
Worm's-eye view makes things look large, bird's-eye view reveals order, and eye level feels approachable.
03
Background
A calm background lets the subject stand out. A step to the side is often all it takes.
Check the edges before taking the shot: Is a post growing out of someone's head, or does the frame cut off a hand?
Check the margins.
2.2 / Design Rules
Rule of thirds, golden ratio, diagonal.
The rule of thirds divides the image into nine sections. Subjects placed along the lines or at the intersections look engaging and balanced. The golden ratio is a related, slightly tighter division. Diagonals bring movement, whilst the centre brings calm and symmetry.
The horizon divides the image. If it is in the lower third, it emphasises the sky; in the upper third, the ground. In the centre, it appears calm, but often indecisive. Most importantly: keep it straight.
Rules are starting points.
2.3 / Visual Guidance and Series
Lines, repetition, sequence.
Lines such as paths, fences, or edges lead the eye into the image. Repetition, like glasses on a shelf, creates rhythm. An element that breaks the pattern instantly becomes an eye-catcher.
Standalone images are rarely created for websites and social media. A series with consistent lighting, the same perspective, and varied crops—such as wide shots, details, and people—tells far more than ten random pictures.
A series tells more.
Exercise
A series of images
Task: Take a series of six photos for the Sonnmatt farm shop website.
STEP 1
Plan the series: two wide shots, two details, two images with people.
STEP 2
Photograph every subject from three angles: low, eye level, and high.
STEP 3
Apply the rule of thirds to at least two images and consciously break it in one.
STEP 4
Choose the six best images and arrange them in a grid.
Evaluation: Does the series look like a coherent whole? Which image stands out, and why?