Enrico Marega Interactive photography course
About
ITEN

Composition and geometry

Before any setting, a photo works when everything is in the right place. Grids aren’t rules you have to obey: they’re just a way of seeing where the viewer’s eye lands.

1Simulator

Move the subject

Drag me around the frame and choose a grid: thirds, diagonals, golden ratio or spiral, even rotated. When I land on a power point, the point lights up.

2Simulator

Horizon and converging verticals

Tilt the camera upwards and watch the lines of the building. Then straighten them as you would in post-processing.

Why it works

1Simulator Putting the subject in the centre isn’t a mistake, but it often makes the photo static. Moving it onto one of the power points leaves space around it and creates a tension that keeps the eye inside the picture. If the subject is looking or walking in one direction, leave space in front of them: that’s where the photo breathes.

1Simulator Diagonals add movement: a street or a shadow starting from a corner leads the eye into the scene. The golden ratio and the spiral are more refined versions of the thirds: their power points sit a little closer to the centre.

2Simulator When you tilt the camera upwards to fit a building in, the verticals converge and the building seems to fall backwards. If you want straight lines, keep the camera level and step back, or straighten them in post-processing: you lose a little of the frame at the edges.

Key points

  • The rule of thirds divides the frame into nine parts: the points where the lines cross are the power points.
  • Leave space in front of anyone looking or moving, and keep the horizon level: even one degree shows.
  • If you tilt the camera upwards, vertical lines converge. Keep it level or correct them in post-processing.

Try it yourself

Pick a simple subject, a person or a lamppost, and photograph it three times: in the centre, on a power point on the left and on one on the right. See which of the three keeps you inside the photo the longest.

Post the result and tag me @enrico.marega, or send it to me by DM: I’d love to see how you tackled it.

Quick check

You’re photographing the sea at sunset. Where do you put the horizon to give the sky more importance?
You photograph a building from below and its sides seem to fall backwards. Why?