The composition of a photograph speaks volumes about you as an artist. Photo composition gives you an immense amount of control over how the photo ends up turning out.

How can you bend the composition to your advantage? Here are 13 composition rules to live by, no matter what you're shooting.

1. Keep Things as Simple as Possible

A simple photo composition of the moon.

You've got your subject—a person, an object, whatever it is that you're shooting. What else should be represented in the frame alongside them? It depends, based on whether you're shooting for a client or for fun. One thing that we can guarantee is that you should only include what's relevant to your end game.

If you're highlighting a product, you might want to remove unnecessary elements from the final photo. Lifestyle photos, more casual in a general sense, may benefit from a real environment for the product or the model to thrive within. It all comes down to the impression that you want to make.

2. Watch Your Perpendiculars

A simple architectural photo composition.

Little embarrasses us in Lightroom like seeing a gorgeous sunrise that we totally shot off-kilter. You can always even things out after the fact, but please believe us when we say that perfect perpendiculars at the time of the shot make for a much better composition.

Shooting square perpendiculars will usually end up being a matter of practice. Tripods with levelers, however, can help you figure things out with confidence. Some digital cameras and even some mobile photo apps will also offer level detection; a digital indicator that lets you know when you're tilting the camera.

3. Flesh Out the Frame

A colorful shot of some buildings.

The cardinal rule of photographic composition: unless you're shooting a lone subject on an extremely scant, bereft field, you'll want to fill the entire frame, ensuring that there are no holes in the version of the photo that you plan on sharing with others.

If you're a photographer, you can probably ascertain whether your photo is lacking something important. Once you've got the subject in front of you, move your body. Try to find an angle that cradles them with their environment.

4. Avoid Suffocating the Subject

A photo of a dog overlooking a wooded area.

A cramped, packed-in composition is uncomfortable to look at, especially if you're shooting something that breathes.

Noseroom and headroom refer to the extra space we give any living subject in the frame in front of or above them. When you frame a person in this way, you create a frame that feels naturally balanced.

5. Sometimes, Centered Compositions Work Well

A man posing near a lightpost.

If you're capturing something dramatic, fascinating, or otherwise worthy of the center-most part of the frame, there are no photo composition rules preventing you from putting your subject right in the middle. Portrait compositions like this are ideal when you want to put the subject front and center.

6. Guide the Eye With Leading Lines

A photo of the inside of a telephone booth.

No matter which framing techniques you adhere to, you'll need some way of creating interest and movement that compels the eye to continue.

Leading lines can literally be anything—the lines of a road, the architectural aspects of a building or an interior, and even the curly hair of your subject. Anything that brings you from one part of the frame to another qualifies.

The composition of lines will make or break your composition. Minimalism has its time and place, but if you would like to convey the feeling of a subject embedded in its environment, you'll need to draw life out of what's in front of you, otherwise, your photo will feel random and without intention.

7. Utilize Patterns Whenever Possible

The complex geometric pattern of a building.

A cool pattern, whether physical, like the infinite line of bleacher seats in a large stadium, or simply ornamental, such as eye-catching wallpaper, will carry your photo far.

A pattern can vibrantly occupy what would otherwise be boring, empty space. Even the beauty of a forest canopy overhead can back your subject up, contextualizing them without necessarily telling an entire story.

8. Create Depth: Foreground, Mid-Ground, and Background

A shot of a hutch in the woods.

This one is easy—your model should never just be floating in front of the camera. The area behind the model and in front of the model are both prime real estate for adding compositional detail. One of the easiest ways to add a little something extra to your photos is using props or scenery in the foreground of your photo.

A palm frond or even some sheer fabric breaks up the monotony of a model in front of a plain background or a material subject isolated from the rest of the world. You can mimic this effect in Photoshop, but doing things in real-life will always yield a more exciting, interesting final product.

Related: What Is Hyperfocal Distance in Photography?

9. Take an Unusual or Unique Approach

An aerial shot of some people at the beach.

We're not beyond crawling around on the floor or finding a chair to stand on when we know there's a cool photo in it for us. Macro photographers will likely be able to attest to how much different a subject looks and feels when its proportions have changed considerably after being photographed.

Drone photography is probably one of the most obvious examples that we can name in this category aside from really getting into the subject's face. We recommend always keeping a small ladder in your trunk or in your studio.

Even when shooting portraits, you may find that the model interacts with the camera much differently when it's held below them or high above them. It takes two to tango, so to speak.

Related: How to Get Started With Macro Photography

10. Contrast Is Key

A loudly-contrasted photo of a building.

If everything in your composition is hitting the same key, you might want to shake things up. Color, luminance, and any other type of contrast can all enhance your photos greatly.

If you're a fashion photographer, you could coordinate the wardrobe of your model to the world that they'll be posing in. Creating contrast in the eyes is another portrait photography staple—eye lights, also known as catchlights, call attention to the person that you're shooting, no matter what color their eyes are.

11. The Power of Symmetry

A symmetrical photo at sunset.

This one is obvious. An incredibly beautiful, symmetrical human face is far from the extent of it—compositional symmetry is one of the most powerful, show-stopping tools at your disposal as a photographer, whether you're shooting people, animals, products, or anything else.

Cities and natural reserves offer ample opportunity for symmetry in your photos. It doesn't have to be perfect in order to echo itself diegetically, either; recurring themes like repeating lines and naturally-occurring patterns can all act in self-reference, even if you're shooting slightly off-axis.

12. Listen to Your Gut

A person taking a photo of some greenery.

Every adjustment and flick of the wrist plays an influential role in the outcome of every photo that you take. If you're looking through the viewfinder and find yourself getting lost in one corner or another, act upon this feeling. Fill the hole or clear the air.

This goes beyond pure composition, of course, but even things like brushing a tendril of hair out of your model's face will strengthen the composition of your photo. Every element in the frame counts. When something is sticking out or getting lost, it always pays to resolve the issue during the shoot, as opposed to fixing it in post.

Related: Freelensing for Beginners: Tips for Beautiful Photos

13. Make Your Subject the Star of the Show

A person walking along the shore at sunset.

Last, but certainly not least: your photo should be a celebration of whatever it is that you're taking the time to shoot. If you follow only one rule in this list, it should be this one. Follow the person or object of your fascination and let the reality of the scene show you what's really worth capturing.

Our role as photographers requires us to step back at times, allowing the subject to speak authentically for themselves. Theory and good practices will get you far, but never stop yourself from leaning into a subject's ultimate truth when it takes you off the beaten path.

The Composition of a Photograph Is Absolutely Everything

The rules of composition are simple, but there's so much more to explore aside from what we've covered here. Honing your own photographic technique is as easy as practicing and giving it your all every single day.