Dated: 15 June 2025

Photography composition can make or break a shot. Whether you’re shooting in the backcountry or close to home, how you frame the scene plays a huge role in the final image. Here are five simple tips to help sharpen your eye and improve your results.

1. Balance is Everything

Rule of thirds, centre frame, golden spiral—it doesn’t matter which you choose if it feels unbalanced.

Use your instinct: Does the image feel weighted too far to one side? Balance helps draw the viewer in and hold their attention.

2. Straighten That Horizon

It sounds basic, but it’s often missed. A crooked horizon can ruin an otherwise perfect shot—especially with seascapes, landscapes or wide-angle scenes. Quick fix, big payoff.

3. Stop and Ask: “What’s One Thing I’d Fix?”

Before you move on, pause. Really look. Is there one thing you’d change? A distracting element? Crooked framing? Objects overlapping the subject?

This one small change can improve everything.

4. Check the Edges

Look around the edges of your frame—anything sneaking in that shouldn’t be there? Fingers, straps, branches, bins? Give your subject space to breathe, and remember: you can crop later, but you can’t un-crop.

5. Use Leading Lines

Find natural or man-made lines—paths, fences, rivers—that guide the eye into your frame. Leading lines create flow, depth and visual interest. Let them pull your viewer into the scene.

Keep these tips in mind next time you’re out shooting—they’re simple, but they can make a real difference to how your images come together.