Classic Compositions You Should Know Quiz

Answer: Rule of thirds

You can see in this picture how the two waterfall streams line up to divide the total image in thirds from left to right, and other portions of the scenery (the bushes and the rock ledge) coincide with the horizontal lines.

The rule of thirds is one of the most common rules in photography, and many cameras (and smartphones) come equipped with the means to superimpose a 3x3 grid over what you are looking at. Using the lines or the junction points of the lines in this manner creates a more balanced picture.

This photo was taken in Argentina and is part of the Iguaçu Falls.

Answer: Symmetry

This photo uses a puddle on the path within the cemetery to provide a symmetrical reflection along the x-axis. The symmetry doesn't end there, as the centered path and crypts on either side and the sky are nearly mirrored left to right, as well.

Symmetry doesn't necessarily have to be centered along both axes to qualify as a symmetrical photograph, but having symmetry in both directions increases the effectiveness of the composition. And, of course, lighting and colour (or lack of it, in this case) simply accentuate the overall effect.

This scene was captured in the Buenos Aires Recoleta Cemetery.

Answer: False

This photo actually demonstrates the compositional technique of frame within the frame, wherein the subject is surrounded with something that is part of the photograph, but helps to draw the attention to the main subject - all within the larger frame of the photo, itself. Other examples might be a landscape scene shot through a frame of foliage, or the view through an open door or window.

Forced perspective is a technique where you create optical illusions by making an object appear larger, smaller, farther or closer than it really is. A ubiquitous example of this is the photo of someone holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

The figurine was found at a lovely café/bookstore in Kelowna, BC (called the Pulp Fiction Coffee House).

Answer: Diagonals and triangles

This photo uses the diagonals and triangles from the fire escape combined with the shadows cast from the bright sun to create a beautiful patterned effect that draws the eye.

Diagonals and triangles can be found throughout nature and wherever there are straight lines in the man made world. Where something square or straight (parallel, horizontal & vertical lines) can seem flat and dull, while use of diagonals and triangles lends a sense of movement and direction that can't be as easily found in the other.

The picture was taken in Winnipeg, MB in the old downtown Exchange District.

Answer: Texture

The rippling effect in this photograph wonderfully captures the texture technique, in my opinion.

Photographs that focus on texture almost have a 3-D effect to them as the patterns of the material (or in this case the light and shadow effect) encompass the whole photograph. Textures of many kinds can be found all around you, from nature (like this photo) to man-made (like a brick wall or a wood-panelled floor or carpet fibres).

This photo was taken in Nakusp, BC, capturing a patch of water on Upper Arrow Lake (Columbia River system).

Answer: True

This photograph has more going on than just the rule of odds (use of light and contrast, diagonals/triangles), but it was a good selection to demonstrate that compositional choice. Ask yourself honestly, would you think this a better photo if there were only two people climbing the rock?

'Odd'ly enough, this has proven out in studies on photography, where more often than not, an odd number of subject wins out as being more appealing. It doesn't always work out to find odds to photograph - such as taking a picture of a loving couple - but when making your imaging choices, don't forget the rule of odds as an option.

The location of this picture is just a short drive from my home town of Vernon, BC on the Rim Rocks Trail.

Answer: Fill the frame

This photograph captures the immensity and grandeur simply by making it the total focus, taking out all other distractions (and providing a little bit of treeline to provide perspective).

One of the most common mistakes with new photographers is making your pictures too busy, including too much background, foreground, other people and objects to distract from the main subject. Filling the frame is one way to do fix that problem (but certainly not the only one).

You can find this mountain if you travel to Jasper National Park in Alberta. It is called Roche Miette.

Answer: Isolate the subject

It doesn't fill the frame, and the context of its surroundings is still suggested in the background, but putting the focus on this sextant to the exclusion of all else draws your eye to it, as intended.

Other ways to isolate the subject include removing the clutter from around your subject or choosing a different background, by choosing a subject that already stands out from its background (colour or lighting can help here), or by getting up close (fill the frame technique).

This is another curio within the previously-mentioned Pulp Fiction Coffee House in Kelowna, BC.

Answer: Perspective

While this photo is also an example of the rule of thirds and using negative space (kind of the opposite of fill the frame), it really shows how you can use perspective to grasp the true size of the subject, in this case the 24-metre-tall lighthouse (as compared to the two people on the left).

Perspective can be utilized in different ways, from comparisons (as in this example) to where your point of view is changed (other than normal eye-level), to (the previously-mentioned) forced perspective where you make things seem different than they are.

This is a photo of the Malarrif Lighthouse in Snæfellsjökull National Park in Iceland.

Answer: Golden ratio

While this technique may seem complicated, it really is quite intuitive, and definitely appeals to our senses and sensibilities.

It is believed that the golden ratio (spiral) compositional method dates back to Ancient Greece as it can be found in many types of art and architecture of the era, and even moreso during the Renaissance (which looked back to the examples of Ancient Greece).

And one final picture from the Pulp Fiction Coffee House in Kelowna, BC.