Symmetrical Composition Tip

One of the big decisions we have to make is where to place subjects in the frame.  As I mentioned in the last article, using the rule of thirds can be very satisfying visually.


Yet sometimes it is fun to play with the idea of symmetry, and that's what I've done here.  I've intentionally placed a tree pretty close to the center of the image.  I say pretty close, because I sometimes like to create a sense of tension in the picture by not have things exactly at the mid point, as you can see by looking at the grid overlay.


The other key things I am playing with are balance and scale.  Notice that if the picture is essentially split in two, I'm loading the left side with other significant elements to create weight there. Those elements are the second tree, and the bench.  I'm using the open space of the lake and the trees beyond on the right side as a balance to those elements on the left of the midline.


Scale is also a factor, in that I am introducing a smaller, human-scaled object (the bench), then a tree seen in almost its entirety of height  before we come to the cropped (and most dominate) tree in the center.  Using these elements helps establish the size of the tree in the middle and gives the image a sense of depth.