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28 Composition Techniques That Will Improve Your Photos

Here’s the thing about these ideas; they constantly contradict each other. And that’s ok. No one idea presented here is “better” than another. They can be used on their own, combined, or completely disregarded depending on what you are trying to achieve in your photograph. You won’t get sent to the principal’s office for ignoring them. I promise. After all, there is more than one way to cook an egg. Poached egg is obviously the best way though, and I’ll fight anyone who says otherwise.

In this tutorial, I’ve listed 28 of these guidelines along with examples of each. I’ve started with the most basic ones and finished with some of the more advanced composition techniques.

Photography Composition Defined

First of all, we have to define what is meant by ‘composition’. Composition refers to the way the various elements in a scene are arranged within the frame. As I’ve already mentioned, these are not hard and fast rules but guidelines. That said, many of them have been used in art for thousands of years and they really do help achieve more attractive compositions. I find that I usually have one or more of these guidelines in the back of my mind as I’m setting up a shot.

At a Glance

Here is an index of the 28 composition techniques covered in this article:

We’ll start with probably the most well-known composition technique: The Rule of Thirds.

#1. Rule of Thirds

So I’ve just told you that there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to composition and then the first thing I write about is the ‘rule’ of thirds. In my defense, I didn’t come up with the name. The rule of thirds is very simple. You divide the frame into 9 equal rectangles, 3 across and 3 down as illustrated below. Many camera manufacturers have actually included the capability to display this grid in live view mode. Check your camera’s manual to see how to turn on this feature.

The idea is to place the important element(s) of the scene along one or more of the lines or where the lines intersect. We have a natural tendency to want to place the main subject in the middle. Placing it off-center using the rule of thirds will more often than not lead to a more attractive composition.

In this photo, I’ve placed the horizon roughly along the bottom third of the frame and the biggest and closest trees along the line to the right. The photo wouldn’t have the same impact if the larger trees had been placed in the center of the frame.

In this photo of the Old Town Square in Prague, I’ve placed the horizon along the top third of the frame. Most of the buildings sit in the middle third and the square itself occupies the bottom third of the frame. The spires of the church are placed near the horizontal line to the right of the frame.

In this street photograph taken in my home city of Dublin, I’ve placed the woman in red walking along the street on the point where two of the grid lines intersect. The cobbled street roughly occupies the bottom third of the frame; the building ground floors frontages occupy the middle third and the upper floors of the buildings occupy the top third. Having the rule of thirds grid activated in live view on my camera really helped me with composition when I took this photograph.

#2. Centered Composition and Symmetry

Now that I’ve told you not to place the main subject in the center of the frame, I’m going to tell you to do the exact opposite! There are times when placing a subject in the center of the frame works really well. Symmetrical scenes are perfect for a centered composition. They look really well in square frames too.

This photo of the Ha’penny Bridge in my home city of Dublin was the perfect candidate for a centered composition. Architecture and roads often make great subjects for centered compositions.

Scenes containing reflections are also a great opportunity to use symmetry in your composition. In this photo, I’ve actually used a mix of the rule of thirds and symmetry to compose the scene. The tree is positioned off-center to the right of the frame but the perfectly still water of the lake provides the symmetry. You can often combine several composition guidelines in a single photograph.

Square cropped frames can be a suitable option for centered compositions. A square is completely symmetrical after all. I actually studied French and history at this university over twenty years ago. I had very little time for photography though as I was just so busy drinking beer discussing eighteenth-century French poetry and the merits of enlightened absolutism in Prussia with my fellow scholars.

Symmetry doesn’t always have to be vertical in nature. Reflections can create the perfect opportunity to capture some horizontal symmetry. Early morning and evening times often present good opportunities for reflections like this as the air cools and the wind drops.

#3. Foreground Interest and Depth

Including some foreground interest in a scene is a great way of adding a sense of depth to the scene. Photographs are 2D by nature. Including foreground interest in the frame is one of a number of techniques to give the scene a more 3D feel.

In this photograph of a waterfall in The Netherlands, the rocks in the river provided a perfect source of foreground interest.

Adding foreground interest works particularly well with wide-angle lenses.

I took this photograph in the Dublin Docklands. The dock cleats along the quay provided the foreground interest in this shot. I think it adds a real sense of depth to the composition. The dock cleat in this scene was only a few meters in front of me when I took this shot. Including it in the frame portrays a sense of depth in the scene by including an element that I was quite close to as well as the bridge and buildings in the distance and everything in between them.

A friend who was with me that evening tripped over one of the cleats and almost ended up getting a very close-up view of the River Liffey. That’s one way of adding depth to the scene I guess.

#4. Frame Within the Frame

Including a ‘ frame within the frame ’ is another effective way of portraying depth in a scene. Look for elements such as windows, arches, or overhanging branches to frame the scene with. The ‘frame’ does not necessarily have to surround the entire scene to be effective.

In the photo above taken on St Mark’s Square in Venice, I used the archway to frame St Marks Basilica and the Campanile at the far end of the piazza. The use of scenery viewed through arches was a common feature of Renaissance painting as a way of portraying depth. As you can see, the square was completely empty when I took the shot. This is one of the benefits of getting up at 5 am. Early morning is one of my favorite times to get out and about with the camera.

Frames don’t have to be man-made objects such as arches or windows. The photo below was taken in County Kildare in Ireland. This time, I used the tree trunk to the right and the overhanging branch to create a frame around the scene containing the bridge and boathouse. Notice that even though the ‘frame’ doesn’t actually surround the whole scene in this case, it still adds a sense of depth.

Natural features such as trees can also be used to frame a scene. In this case, the Autumn trees frame the stone bridge. In this case, I also used a centered composition with the bridge in the middle of the frame. Note that the frame doesn’t necessarily have to completely surround your subject. It could be trees on either side, as is the case here.

Using a ‘frame within a frame’ presents a great opportunity to use your surroundings to be creative in your compositions.

#5. Leading Lines

Leading lines help lead the viewer through the image and focus attention on important elements. Anything from paths, walls, or patterns can be used as leading lines. Take a look at the examples below.

In this photo of the Eiffel Tower, I used the patterns on the paving stones as leading lines. The lines on the ground all lead the viewer to the Eiffel Tower in the distance. You’ll also notice that I used a centered composition for this scene. The symmetry of my surroundings made this type of composition work well.

Leading lines do not necessarily have to be straight as illustrated by the picture above. In fact, curved lines can be very attractive compositional features. In this case, the path leads the viewer to the right of the frame before swinging in to the left towards the tree. I also made use of the rule of thirds when composing the shot.

#6. Diagonals and Triangles

It is often said that triangles and diagonals add ‘dynamic tension’ to a photo. My mother-in-law also does an excellent job of adding tension to any scene. What do we mean by ‘dynamic tension’ though? This can be a tricky one to explain and can seem a bit pretentious. Look at it this way, horizontal lines and vertical lines suggest stability. If you see a person standing on a level horizontal surface, he will appear to be pretty stable unless he’s stumbling out of a pub at 2 am. Put this man on a sloping surface and he’ll seem less stable. This creates a certain level of tension visually. We are not so used to diagonals in our everyday life. They subconsciously suggest instability. Incorporating triangles and diagonals into our photos can help create this sense of ‘dynamic tension’.

Incorporating triangles into a scene is a particularly good effective way of introducing dynamic tension. Triangles can be actual triangle-shaped objects or implied triangles. I’ll explain this in more detail in a moment.

This picture of the Samuel Beckett Bridge in Dublin incorporates plenty of triangles and diagonals into the scene. The bridge itself is an actual triangle (It’s actually supposed to represent a Celtic Harp on its side). There are also several ‘implied’ triangles in the scene. Notice how the leading lines on the right of the frame are all diagonal and form triangles that all meet at the same point. These are ‘implied triangles’. Having diagonals going off in different directions adds a lot of ‘dynamic tension’ to the scene. Once again you can see how I have combined two techniques to compose the image: leading lines and diagonals.

In this photo of the Hotel de Ville in Paris, the implied triangles and diagonals create a sense of dynamic tension. We are not used to seeing buildings leaning at such angles in our everyday life. It is slightly jarring to our sense of balance. This is what creates the visual tension. You can also talk about dynamic tension to sound intelligent (or annoyingly pretentious) in front of your friends.

#7. Patterns and Textures

Human beings are naturally attracted to patterns. They are visually attractive and suggest harmony. Patterns can be man-made like a series of arches or natural like the petals on a flower. Incorporating patterns into your photographs is always a good way to create a pleasing composition. Less regular textures can also be very pleasing to the eye.

The photo above was taken in Tunisia. I’ve used the pattern in the paving stones to lead the eye to the domed building. The building itself incorporates a pattern in the form of a series of arches. The domed roof also compliments the rounded arches below.

In this second photo, also shot in Tunisia, I really liked the texture of the stonework on the ground. This is less regular than the pattern in the first photo but the play of light and shadow on the surface is very pleasant. There are also interesting textures to be on the walls and roof of the passage. You may also have noticed that the arch creates a ‘frame within a frame’ around the man and cafe on the other side of the archway.

#8. Break the Pattern

Sometimes using a pattern in your composition means breaking the pattern. This was actually suggested to me in one of the comments of the last article I wrote on composition.

I’ve already said that some “rules” are there to be broken. The same goes for patterns. Breaking the pattern can really make your photograph pop. In this case, the single red candle really stands out among the vanilla-colored ones. It’s also slightly taller than the others which is another way of breaking the pattern. Notice how the photograph still follows the rule of thirds.

#9. Rule of Odds

In the world of photography, there are certainly plenty of ‘odds’ but the ‘rule of odds’ is something different entirely. The rule suggests that an image is more visually appealing if there are an odd number of subjects. The theory proposes that an even number of elements in a scene is distracting as the viewer is not sure which one to focus his or her attention on. An odd number of elements is seen as more natural and easier on the eye. To be honest, I think there are plenty of cases where this is not the case but it is certainly applicable in certain situations. What if you have four children? How do you decide which one to leave out of the shot? Personally, I’d go by future earning potential.

The photo above is an example of the rule of odds. I deliberately framed the scene to include three arches. I think that two arches would not have worked as well and may have divided the viewer’s attention. It also so happened that there were three people in the scene. This composition also makes use of patterns and ‘frames within a frame’.

In the photo of two gondoliers in Venice above, you will see that I’ve completely ignored the rule of odds. It is true that your attention may shift back and forth between each gondolier. However, this is exactly what a conversation between two people is like, a back and forth. For this reason, I think the even number of subjects works in this case.

This photo was also taken on Saint Mark’s Square. This time, it completely ignores the “rule of odds” several times in the frame. There are two principal human subjects, four street lamps, and two ornate columns, all even numbers.

It would also be a lot of trouble to get out my angle grinder to cut down one of the street lamps. As for the columns, I don’t know where I’d start. I’d need a very strong rope and a heavy truck at least. In Venice, that would have been a challenge. I could always ask one of the subjects to leave the scene or ask somebody else to join them I guess. Or I could just ignore the rule of odds.

#10. Fill the Frame

Filling the frame with your subject, leaving little or no space around it can be very effective in certain situations. It helps focus the viewer completely on the main subject without any distractions. It also allows the viewer to explore the detail of the subject that wouldn’t be possible if photographed from further away. Filling the frame often involves getting in so close that you may actually crop out elements of your subject. In many cases, this can lead to a very original and interesting composition.

In the photo of my pet cat on the left, you’ll notice that I filled the frame completely with his face, even cropping out the edges of his head and mane. This allows the viewer to really focus on details such as the eyes or the textures in his fur. You may also notice that I used the rule of thirds in this composition. He is a lovely pet but you should see the state of our furniture. He also loves children but he couldn’t eat a whole one.

In the second shot of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, I have left very little space around the edges of the building. the point of this photograph is to showcase the architectural detail of the front façade of the building.

In this photo, Notre Dame Cathedral and the adjacent buildings almost completely fill the frame. This allows us to explore details such as the flying buttresses, the stonework, or the ornate balconies on the building next door. It is a scene where the eye wanders around the frame.

#11. Leave Negative Space

Once again, I am going to completely contradict myself! In the last guideline, I told you that filling the frame works well as a compositional tool. Now I’m going to tell you that doing the exact opposite works well too. Leaving a lot of empty or ‘negative’ space around your subject can be very attractive. It creates a sense of simplicity and minimalism. Like filling the frame, it helps the viewer focus on the main subject without distractions.

This photo of a giant statue of the Hindu god Shiva in Mauritius is a good example of using negative space . The statue is obviously the main subject but I have left plenty of space filled only by sky around it. This focuses our attention on the statue itself while giving the main subject ‘space to breath’ so to speak. The composition also creates a sense of simplicity. There is nothing complicated about the scene. It is the statue surrounded by sky, that is all. I also used the rule of thirds to place the statue to the right of the frame.

This simple landscape photograph makes use of negative space. The misty morning actually helped obscure some of the background elements making the tree on the left really stand out with little to distract from it.

#12. Simplicity and Minimalism

In the last guideline, we saw how leaving negative space around the main subject can create a sense of simplicity and minimalism. Simplicity itself can be a powerful compositional tool. It is often said that ‘less is more’. Simplicity often means taking photos with uncomplicated backgrounds that don’t distract from the main subject. You can also create a simple composition by zooming in on part of your subject and focusing on a particular detail.

In this first photo, I zoomed in on some water droplets on a leaf in a garden. It’s such a simple subject but is also very beautiful because of its simplicity. A good macro lens can be a very useful tool for creating these types of photos.

In this second photograph of a tree at dawn, I made use of a very simple and uncluttered background to focus attention on the tree. This photo makes use of ‘negative space’ to create a sense of simplicity and minimalism. I’ve also used the rule of thirds and leading lines in the composition.

#13. Use Black and White

Converting a photograph to black and white can be a very effective method of simplifying your composition. In some ways, color itself can be a distraction. Black and white photography often allows us to focus on the textures, light, shadows, and shapes in the frame. Take a look at the following photographs taken along the Copper Coast in County Waterford, Ireland.

The light in this version actually isn’t all that interesting. It’s that harsh daytime light that is rarely conducive to spectacular landscape photography. The location itself has potential though. Let’s see what happens when we convert this image to black and white.

With the “distraction” of color removed, I think this becomes a much stronger shot. That harsh light now helps to highlight the textures on the tree, in the grass, on the cliffs, and in the sky. The bold shape of the tree stands out against the sky and the scattered clouds in the sky look more dramatic. The color was hiding much of this in my opinion. Not every shot is suited to a black and white conversion but in this case, I think it was.

#14. Isolate the Subject

Using a shallow depth of field to isolate your subject is a very effective way of simplifying your composition. By using a wide aperture, you can blur the background that might otherwise distract from your main subject. This is a particularly useful technique for shooting portraits. You can learn more about how to use different aperture settings in my tutorial on Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO .

In this photo of a cat hiding in a box, I set an aperture of f/3.5 which is very wide and results in a very blurred background. This focuses attention on the cat as the blurred background is now less distracting. This technique is an excellent way to simplify a composition. You may have noticed that I also used this technique to focus attention on the water droplets on the leaf in the last guideline.

#15. Shoot from Below

The vast majority of photographs are taken from head height. That’s not very high in my case as my experience with the borrowed Dutch bicycle demonstrates. Getting down low or up high can be a great way of capturing a point of view that is more dynamic or interesting. I have often seen wildlife photographers lying on their bellies to get that special shot.

I took this photograph of the Eiffel Tower while standing at its base and pointing my camera up. This was also a perfect occasion to use a centered composition due to the symmetrical subject. It means I have a photo that’s a little different from the majority of shots of this Parisian landmark.

Sometimes finding that perfect point of view means getting your feet wet. Above is a shot I took while standing in a stream in Ballyhoura, County Limerick, Ireland. I actually had to wait quite a while for a rain shower to pass and the sun to come back out. It was worth it though to get low down and capture the motion of the water as if flowed over the rocks. I needed several hot whiskeys after to warm myself back up though.

#16. Shoot from Above

Whenever I visit a new location, I like to get high at least once. I also like to take photographs from a high vantage point at some point during my trip. Before my trip, I always research the possibilities to take some bird’s eye photos. Most cities and towns usually have a high building or bell tower you can climb to get some shots from high above your surroundings. Just make sure they allow tripods if you plan to bring one.

I had to work extremely hard to get this shot of Markt Square in the heart of Bruges. For a start, I had to lug my camera gear up 366 narrow steps to the top of the Belfry. Now thankfully I’m in shape. Well I mean, round is a shape, isn’t it? As I wheezed my way to the summit, I think some of my fellow climbers were worried I might require medical attention. I actually met a guy whose office was right at the top of the belfry. He told me that he made the trip up and down the tower several times a day in a suit and dress shoes. Whereas I looked like I’d just climbed Everest; he barely broke a sweat.

When you think of places in Paris to climb up high, you immediately think of the Eiffel Tower. The problem with shooting from the top of Paris’ most iconic structure is that you can’t include the Eiffel Tower in your shot! This is why the viewing deck of the Montparnasse Tower in the south of the city is a much better location to capture a bird’s eye view of the City of Light. The tower itself is a pretty ugly building, to be honest, so being on top of it has the added advantage that you can’t see it while you are up there.

This photograph was taken just after sunset while there was still some color in the sky. I waited for the “ decisive moment ” the Eiffel Tower sparkled as it does for one minute on the hour, every hour throughout the night. If I had waited another hour, however, the beautiful purple tones in the sky would have been gone.

#17. Look for Particular Color Combinations

The use of color itself is an often overlooked compositional tool. Color theory is something that graphic designers, fashion designers, and interior designers are all very familiar with. Certain color combinations complement each other well and can be visually very striking.

Take a look at the color wheel above. You can see that the colors are arranged logically in the segments of a circle. Colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel are said to be ‘complimentary colors’. As photographers, we can look for scenes that incorporate complementary colors as a way of creating attractive and striking compositions.

Have you ever noticed how many movie posters have blue and yellow/orange color schemes? This is done quite deliberately to create eye-catching adverts.

I made use of the striking blue/yellow color combination myself in this photograph of the Custom House in Dublin. The yellow hues of the illuminated building contrast beautifully with the deep blue of the blue hour sky.

Red and blue are also complimentary colors on the color wheel. The Stephen’s Green Shopping Center in Dublin was lit up red for Christmas last year. This was very striking against the deep blue of the early night sky. I love photographing cities during blue hour. The deep blue of the sky at this time provides a very attractive backdrop to the city’s architecture and lights. The pure black of the late-night sky is not as striking and contrasts too sharply with the lights of the city.

#18. Rule of Space

The rule of space relates to the direction the subject(s) in your photo is facing or moving towards. If you are taking a photo of a moving car, for example, there should be more space left in the frame in front of the car than behind it. This implies that there is space in the frame for the car to move into. Take a look at the example of the boat below.

In this photo, the boat is placed on the left-hand side of the frame as it moves from left to right. Notice how there is a lot more space for the boat to move into in front of its direction of motion (to the right) than behind it. We can mentally imagine the boat moving into this space as it sails along the river. We also have a subconscious tenancy to look forward to where an object is heading. If the boat was right up at the right-hand side of the frame, this would lead us out of the photograph!

This can also be used for pictures of people. The rule of space suggests that the subject should be looking or facing into the frame rather than out of it. Take a look at the musician in the photo above. I composed the shot with him sitting on the left-hand side of the frame. He is facing to the right (as we look at him) into the area of space between him and the right-hand edge of the frame. If he had been facing the other way, he would be looking out of the frame and this would look odd. By looking into the space in the frame, he leads our eye past the man leaning on the railing and to the couple dancing on the right-hand side.

Admittedly, I’m not much of a sports photographer but I quite like this shot I snapped with my camera phone during a rugby match featuring the mighty Leinster. Notice how the kicker (Johnny Sexton) is placed to the left of the frame and the ball is traveling into the space on the right. He made the kick by the way.

When I was a kid, the modern stadium you see in the photograph hadn’t been built yet. Instead, there was a rather basic and decaying old ground called Lansdowne Road. Back then, my dad used to lift me over the turnstiles to get in for free. We tried doing this again recently but with less success. I’m now 41 years old, have put on a few pounds since I was a kid and my dad has had a hip replaced.

#19. Left to Right Rule

There is a theory that says we ‘read’ an image from left to right in the same way we would read text. For this reason, it is suggested that any motion portrayed in a photograph should flow from left to right. This is all very well but it assumes the viewer is from a country where text is read from left to right. Many languages are read from right to left such as Arabic for example. To be honest, I’ve seen plenty of fantastic photographs that ‘flow’ from right to left.

I was once criticized by a judge for the fact that a woman in a photo I took was walking from right to left. He told me it didn’t follow the ‘left to right’ rule. I reminded the judge that the photo was taken in Tunisia where people read from right to left. I didn’t win.

The photo above follows the ‘left to right’ rule. The woman walking her dog in the Tuileries Garden in Paris is walking from the left to the right of the frame.

This photo also adheres to the ‘rule of space’. You will notice that there is much more space in front of the woman than behind her. She has plenty of ‘space’ to walk into in the frame. I also used the rule of thirds and a ‘frame within a frame’ to compose this photograph.

In this photograph, I completely ignored the left to right rule. Does the photograph suffer as a result? I don’t think so. What interested me was the woman walking across the beautiful campo while staring at her phone (as we so often do these days) as well as the colorful buildings bathed in the evening light. Frankly, I don’t really care what direction she is walking in. I suppose I could have asked her to walk back from where she came from.

Once during a club competition, a judge docked points from I photo I took in Tunisia for not adhering to the left to right rule. I argued that as the photograph was taken in an Arab country where people read from right to left, this should not apply. Unsurprisingly, I did not win.

#20. Balance Elements in the Scene

The first compositional guideline we looked at in this tutorial was the Rule of Thirds. This of course means that we often place the main subject of the photo to the side of the frame along one of the vertical grid lines. Sometimes this can lead to a lack of balance in the scene. It can leave a sort of ‘void’ in the rest of the frame.

To overcome this, you can compose your shot to include a secondary subject of lesser importance or size on the other side of the frame. This balances out the composition without taking too much focus off the main subject of the photograph.

Take a look at this photograph of the ornate lamppost on the Pont Alexandre III in Paris.

The lamppost itself fills the left side of the frame. The Eiffel Tower in the distance counterbalances this on the other side of the frame.

You may have remarked that this seems to go against the idea of negative space mentioned in guideline number 10. It also contradicts the ‘rule of odds’ as we now have an even number of elements in the scene. As I said at the very beginning of this tutorial, there are no unbreakable rules in photographic composition. Some of these guidelines contradict each other and that’s ok. Some guidelines work well for certain types of photographs and not others. It’s a question of judgment and experimentation.

The photo above was taken in Venice. Once again, a decorative lamppost dominates one side of the frame. The church tower in the distance provides balance on the other side of the frame.

This also has a secondary effect on the composition. The church tower in the distance is obviously much bigger than the lamppost in real life. It appears smaller in the photograph as it is far away. This helps add a sense of depth and scale to the scene.

#21. Juxtaposition

Juxtaposition is a very powerful compositional tool in photography. Juxtaposition refers to the inclusion of two or more elements in a scene that can either contrast with each other or complement each other. Both approaches can work very well and play an important part in enabling the photo to tell a story.

In this photograph, there is a juxtaposition between the beautiful older buildings of the Hague in the bottom half of the frame and the modern skyscrapers that rise up behind them. The handsome building in the center is the Mauritshuis Museum which houses paintings such as “The Girl with the Pearl Earring” and “The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp” by Rembrandt.

I spent a few days cycling around the Hague on a borrowed bike made for a 6 foot 4 Dutchman. I am a 5 foot 5 Irishman so that was fun and quite terrifying as I dodged trams on the uneven cobbled streets. On several occasions, I got my bike wheels stuck in a tram line. In this case, you basically have two choices: fall to the left or to the right. I tried both on multiple occasions.

Take a look at this photo taken in Paris. In the bottom half of the frame, we have the slightly rough and ready book stands full of clutter and posters hanging from the tops. Rising above all of this, however, is the magnificent medieval Notre Dame Cathedral. This architectural gem is the epitome of order and structure unlike the unsophisticated but attractive bookstalls below. They seem to be in direct contrast with each other yet they work well together. They both represent the city of Paris in different ways. They tell a story about two different elements of the city.

Contrasting the natural and built environments is another way of using juxtaposition, In this case, the delicate pink roses contrast with the solid man-made building in the background. In this case, I blurred the background but not so much that we can’t make what is there. We saw this in the section on letting the background provide context.

The photo above was also taken in France, but this time in the picturesque little village of Meyssac in the South West. In this shot, the old Citroen 2CV car looks perfectly at home in front of the typical French cafe in the background. The two elements complement each other perfectly. The man with his back to us in the cafe is the owner of the car and he seemed surprised when I asked if it was ok to take a picture of his car. He asked why I’d ever want to take a photo of ‘that old thing’. He didn’t seem to realize that he had unwittingly set up a quintessentially French scene by parking in front of that particular cafe.

#22. Golden Triangles

The golden triangles composition works in a very similar way to the rule of thirds. Instead of a grid of rectangles, however, we divide the frame with a diagonal line going from one corner to another. We then add two more lines from the other corners to the diagonal line. The two smaller lines meet the big line at a right angle as is illustrated below. This divides the frame into a series of triangles. As you can see, this way of composing helps us introduce an element of the ‘dynamic tension’ we learned about in guideline number 6. As with the rule of thirds, we use the lines (of the triangles in this case) to help us position the various elements in the scene.

The photo above contains strong diagonals that follow the lines of the ‘golden triangles’. The light trails from the traffic perfectly follow the diagonal line running from the top right-hand corner to the bottom left-hand corner. The tops of the buildings on the left are close to the smaller diagonal on the left. The small line on the right meets the larger line at the top corner of the buildings.

The photo above makes use of the ‘rule of triangles’ in a more subtle way. The heads of the statues create an ‘implied triangle’. This line leads us to the Eiffel Tower in the distance. The smaller line on the left meets the longer line right at the halfway point of the Eiffel Tower. The smaller line on the right goes right between the two statues. The rule of triangles can seem like a complex way of arranging a photo but it can result in some really striking compositions.

#23. Golden Ratio

What is the golden ratio ? Well, it’s actually very simple: two quantities are in the golden ratio if their ratio is the same as the ratio of their sum to the larger of the two quantities. Wait, what now? Ok, if that sounds too complicated, perhaps this mathematical formula will help:

What do you mean you’re even more confused now? Is this form clearer?

Ok, that seems to have just made things worse. Forget all that.

I often describe the golden ratio as being a slightly more complicated version of the rule of thirds with a little bit of the golden triangles method thrown into the mix. Take a look at the image below.

Rather than dividing the frame into equal rectangles, it is instead divided into a series of squares as in the example above. This is known as a “Phi Grid”. These squares are then used as a guide to add a spiral that looks like a snail’s shell — this is known as the “Fibonacci Spiral”.

These squares, lines, and spiral are then used to lay out the elements in the frame as with the rule of thirds and golden triangles. The spiral is supposed to lead the eye around the frame and show us how the scene should flow. It’s a bit like an invisible leading line. We will look at leading lines in more detail shortly.

The similarities with the rule of thirds and golden triangles become clearer once we add a few lines to the diagram. The golden ratio also divides the frame into 9 parts although this time they are not all the same size and shape. The diagonals we saw in the golden triangles examples can also be added here.

It is believed that the golden spiral method of composition has been in existence for over 2,400 years having been devised in Ancient Greece. It is widely used in many types of art as well as architecture as a way of creating aesthetically pleasing compositions. It was particularly well employed in Renaissance art.

Ok, I have to admit something here. I have never actually purposely set out to compose a photograph using the golden ratio. When I looked back through my photographs, I did notice that I had unintentionally used it a few times.

Here is a perfect example of one of my accidental uses of the golden ratio. I took this photo in Venice. The bridge and steps on the left occupy the large square to the right. The Fibonacci Spiral then leads us from here across the top of the bridge and down to the two women sitting next to it. It may have been a lucky accident but it seems to work!

The golden ratio can be set up in different directions. In this photo taken in Prague, the spiral leads us across the bridge to the castle on the far bank. Another lucky accident!

In this case, the Fibonacci Spiral starts in the top right-hand corner, passes under the couple dancing and finishes on the street musician’s face. The fact that I accidentally stumbled upon the golden ratio a few times shows how many of these composition “rules” may actually be manifestations of our internal aesthetic preferences that come naturally to us. Woah. Deep. It reminds us that these should be used as ideas and not strict rules.

#24. Let the Background Give Context to the Subject

Now it’s time to contradict myself again. There are times when I like to use a busy background. In these cases, I want to background to provide some context to my subject.

This photograph doesn’t contain any old seagull. This is a Dublin seagull! The slightly blurred O’Connell Street in the background gives the subject some context. The fact that he was eating a bowl of coddle and drinking Lyons Tea when I spotted him also lets me know that he was indeed a Dublin seagull. Notice, how the background is still blurred but not so much that the seagull doesn’t stand out. It’s about getting a balance between not distracting from the subject and providing background context.

I took this photograph of a rose at a monastery complex on the outskirts of Bucharest, Romania. Once again I blurred the background just enough to let the rose stand out. There is still however enough detail to show the viewer the context that the rose was photographed in.

#25. Let the Eye Wander Around the Frame

And for my next trick, I will once again completely contradict myself. This is the antithesis to the concept of simplicity and minimalism. There are some occasions I like to take photographs with plenty happening in the frame. Take a look at the paintings of Pieter Bruegel to see an excellent example of art with plenty of different characters and activities going on in the frame.

This photograph was taken in the Temple Bar area of Dublin City. The frame is full of different characters and activity. In this case, the eye can wander around the frame noticing all the little details such as the flowers, the building details, and various people walking, exiting a building, or checking their phone outside a pub. There is no one main subject.

It is not a question of simplicity being preferable to complexity or vice versa. One isn’t inherently “better” than the other. It all depends on what you are trying to achieve with a particular photograph.

#26. Use Layers in the Frame

A very effective way to add a sense of depth to a photograph is to shoot a scene that contains layers of elements at varying distances from your vantage point. These layers can lead the eye through the scene from the foreground, through the middle distance to the background.

In this photograph of a canal in Bruges, the bridge acts as foreground interest. The buildings along the canal provide the next layer in the middle distance. These buildings then lead the viewer through the image towards the more distant elements. Finally, the bell tower from a distant church rises from behind the other buildings in the background. In this case, I did the opposite to the photos with foreground interest; I used a zoom lens to compress the perspective.

#27. Add Human Interest

Including some human interest in a scene can make a photograph far more engaging as well as adding a sense of scale. this is something I sometimes forget as a mainly urban landscape photographer. I’ve noticed that most of my best urban photographs include people somewhere in the frame.

The old bridge in the large town of Tavira in Portugal is a very attractive photography location in itself. This photograph would have been quite good without any human interest but I think the lone figure really makes this shot. The person adds life to the scene as well as giving a sense of scale to the surroundings. I had to wait a while for the right person to enter the scene and click the shutter at the right moment. We will see more about capturing these “decisive moments” next.

#28. Wait for the “Decisive Moment”

The idea of the “decisive moment” in photography is of course most associated with the great French street photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson . But what did Cartier-Bresson mean by the “Decisive Moment”? The great man himself said the following photography quote :

Your eye must see a composition or an expression that life itself offers you, and you must know with intuition when to click the camera. — Henri Cartier-Bresson

In the case of Henri Cartier-Bresson, this meant clicking the camera at the exact moment a man leaped over a puddle behind Gare Saint Lazare or capturing the fleeting cheeky expression of a French boy as he joyfully carried a bottle of wine in each hand through the streets of Paris.

This is actually one of my personal favorite photographs from my portfolio. I took it on an atmospheric misty morning in the picturesque Belgian city of Bruges. The location for this photograph was certainly interesting but for me, it is the man crossing the bridge on his bicycle that makes this photograph special.

This was one of those occasions when I had to wait for that exact right moment to press the shutter. I crouched beside a canal sidewall, composed my shot, and waited…. and waited…. and waited some more. Every so often, someone would cycle across the bridge but the shot would be ruined by a car coming in the opposite direction or perhaps the cyclist would look too modern for the mood I was trying to create in the final photograph – very inconsiderate in my opinion!

Finally, after about 45 minutes, I saw the gentleman you can see in the photo approaching the bridge. I waited until he was right in front of the light-colored building you see right behind him so he would stand out and pressed the shutter.

It was one of those moments I knew straight away that I’d gotten the shot I wanted from this location. I think it was worth the wait. I was quite lucky as there was a car coming from the opposite direction ready to spoil my shot. Thankfully for me the cyclist just beat him to the bridge. I think he should consider taking part in the Tour de France this year.

Sometimes capturing the “decisive moment” can be a case of being in the right place at the right time. In this case, I had already set up my camera to photograph the old tea rooms in the Victorian Era Phoenix Park in Dublin. As I was waiting, a young couple entered the frame and said goodbye with a tender kiss in front of the doors to the tea rooms. Patience and luck both play a role in capturing the “decisive moment” in your photographs.

Applying These Composition Tips to Your Photography

I have told you that it is often possible to combine two or more of the composition ideas I’ve covered in one photograph.

This shot taken in Brussels combines several of the ideas we covered in this section: centered composition, symmetry, rule of thirds, leading lines, rule of odds, frame within a frame, and color theory.

Obviously, it would be impossible to have all of these compositional guidelines in your mind as you are out shooting. Your brain would melt! However, a good exercise is to make an effort to use one or two of them each time you go out. You could do a photo session where you look for situations to use a ‘frame within a frame’ for example.

After a while, you’ll find that a lot of these guidelines become ingrained. You will begin to use them naturally without having to think about them. As you can see from the golden ratio, I even used one of them without even realizing it!

I hope you found this tutorial useful and that it will help you bring your photography to the next level.

P.S. Another exercise you could do is to look at some of the photos in my galleries or any collection of photos and try to see if you can tell which compositional techniques have been used.

About the author : Barry O Carroll is a Dublin, Ireland-based photographer specializing in landscape photography with a particular emphasis on urban landscapes, street scenes and architecture photography. You can find more of his work on his website or by following him on Facebook and Twitter .

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22 Essential Photography Composition Techniques for Better Photos

Improving your composition in photography is the number one way to getting better photos. Learn 22 rules, techniques and tips to amazing compositions.

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We’ve all heard photographs as having been “well” composed or having “strong composition,” but what does that actually mean?

There is a subtle interplay between what is in your frame and the frame itself. This positioning taps into the human psychology of how we read images.

Our guide explains composition in photography for beginners and will give you a detailed, easy-to-follow understanding of essential techniques which you can use to create images that grab a viewer’s attention.

The guaranteed best way to get a clear understanding of composition fundamentals in just 2hrs of reading.

This series of mini photography composition tutorials will give you a solid foundation on which to build, as well as some practical exercises to start getting your eye in!

We’ve included various standard composition techniques, as well as composition guidelines for more experienced photographers who want to experiment a little more.

Composition in photography is an important topic and technique , so let’s dive right in.

Table of Contents

What is Composition in Photography?

Along with light, color, and subject, composition in photography is a fundamental part of how a photograph tells its story, determining its visual impact and establishing a connection with the viewer.

Composition is how the various elements in your photograph are placed within your frame, how they each relate to one another, and also how they relate to the frame itself.

The composition of a photograph is shaped by your position as the photographer, your angle of view, your lens, and even by how much of your image is in focus.

Learning how to make strong, effective compositions will have a huge bearing on how people perceive your photographs, helping your images connect with a viewer at an emotional level.

• What is good photography composition?

Of course, what qualifies as “good” in any art form is completely subjective, but we can probably say that good photography composition tends to use a few conventions that draw on how our brains read an image, and how we are constantly conditioned to understand how images work as a result of seeing them around us in our everyday lives.

A good composition might give a sense of balance but equally, it might create drama by being deliberately unbalanced.

22 Photography Composition Rules, Principles & Elements

The word “rules” isn’t always useful when learning about composition because you might read this article and then discover that your favourite photographers never seem to use them!

Like any set of rules, these rules for composition can be broken, but more than that, they should be regarded as gentle guidance on your progression as a photographer rather than a definitive list that needs to be ticked off every time you take out your camera.

While it can be a useful exercise for finding new ways of working, no photographer looks at a scene and thinks “Right, I think I should use the rule of thirds for this photo” before raising the camera to their eye.

Even when looking through the viewfinder, rules are rarely given deliberate thought during the process of taking a photograph.

As a result, the rules of composition in photography listed below should be taken as points of departure — much better than being seen as a rigid set of ideals that might then risk stifling your creativity.

Read them, absorb them, and rather than always taking photographs with these rules in mind, reflect on them when you come to edit your images so that you can see where they work and where they might fall short.

1. Rule of Thirds

©  Paulius Dragunas

The rule of thirds is always the first photo composition rule on every teacher’s list, and even lots of non-photographers will have heard it mentioned.

Because it’s so well known, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it offers some magical formula for turning any failed composition into something more successful — so much so that if your camera gives you the option of overlaying a grid on your viewfinder, the first option will almost certainly be for the rule of thirds.

The rule of thirds draws imaginary lines on your image: two vertical and two horizontal, equally spaced and dividing your frame into 9 boxes of equal sizes.

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The theory says that the main points of interest in your photograph should sit at the points where these lines intersect, or fairly close to them.

The idea comes from the writing of John Thomas Smith , an English painter, just before the turn of the 18th century and was part of his explanation on how to compose paintings of the countryside.

He suggested that the sky should consume either one third or two-thirds of a scene, and that painters should avoid placing the horizon in the middle as this was less visually satisfying.

From there it evolved and has become a mainstay of not just landscape images , but photography and visual arts more generally.

As one of the fundamental rules of composition, the rule of thirds can help beginner photographers escape from the idea of always putting their subject in the middle of the frame, and help to give you a better idea of how to create a balanced image.

This isn’t just in terms of placing subjects at the intersecting points, but coming to understand balance more generally, such as not automatically putting the horizon across the middle of an image.

How to create this balance can feel like a mystery but fortunately, we have centuries’ worth of artists such as John Thomas Smith that have already put the work in.

You can spend time looking at their art and start to subconsciously absorb what it is that they are doing that somehow just seems to work.

Rather than sticking to the rule of thirds as a fixed device that tells you where to position your subjects, treat it as a reminder towards finding a composition that feels balanced.

Consider also that the rule of thirds can be quite restrictive as it might prevent you from playing with more complex compositions such as using repeating patterns, leading lines, symmetry, and making use of large areas of negative space.

Like all of the rules for composition in photography on this list, give it a go but don’t assume that just because it’s so well known that the rule of thirds is always going to give you a successful composition.

And remember: if the rule of thirds were as important as it first seems, every painting by Piet Mondrian would look pretty much the same!

• How to Use the Principles of Art & Design in Photography

2. Centering Your Subject

©  Kate Hliznitsova

All of us picking up a camera for the first time will place our main subject slap bang in the center of the frame as it’s the obvious thing to do: ‘This thing in front of me that I’m photographing is important so it goes in the middle.’

Once we start to give our compositions more thought, we tend to avoid centering our subject (aka center composition ) and start deploying other compositional techniques such as the rule of thirds described above.

However, centering an element isn’t always the wrong thing to do. It can convey the importance of a certain subject, can give a sense of balance if there are other subjects or points of interest positioned around it, or might create a feeling of symmetry.

Some might argue that you should center your subject in order to create symmetry, but remember that disrupting a sense of balance can be equally effective, deliberately unsettling the equilibrium to bring energy and drama to a scene.

Similarly, the proportions of your frame can also come into play. The rule of thirds described above is often useful when thinking about non-square image, especially those shot on the classic 35mm proportions of 3:2.

However, a photograph can be any proportion, and perfectly square frames can lend themselves particularly well to subjects placed in the center.

This is a good reminder that these rules of composition in photography are not fixed and can be affected by a huge variety of factors.

3. Symmetry

©  Leandra Rieger

The human eye loves finding patterns, and symmetry can be particularly satisfying, like slotting in the last piece of a jigsaw puzzle.

As mentioned above, centering your subject can be one means of introducing a sense of symmetry to a scene, dividing the frame vertically down the middle so that a pattern or shape is mirrored on either side.

Manmade structures often lend themselves well to creating symmetry, and architects have been using it for centuries to give a sense of stability, refinement, and balance.

Symmetry can be found in nature also, perhaps with small imperfections, such as a leaf that curves very slightly to one side at its tip.

Despite this, as long as the symmetry is strongly suggested, it can inspire a sense of tranquillity and completion in the viewer.

4. Dynamic Symmetry

We usually think that the word symmetry means a line that divides something into two mirrored parts, or perhaps some sort of repeating pattern as a result of other reflections or rotations.

However, symmetry can also mean a beauty that comes from having balanced proportions, and it’s from this understanding that we get the term  dynamic symmetry .

It stems from an understanding of proportions that can be found in nature and has its roots in the golden ratio (also known as phi and sometimes written as φ) which has influenced our understanding of beauty and balance for centuries.

The golden ratio in photography makes pictures more attractive and alluring, possibly since the balance represents proportions in nature.

It’s said that one of the most famous photographers of all time , Henri Cartier Bresson — originally a painter — used dynamic symmetry extensively in his work.

Just as the rule of thirds gives you means of dividing your frame, dynamic symmetry draws lines which can help as a guide for your composition, perhaps by finding ways to imitate these lines in your scene, or by placing certain subjects or points of interest where these lines intersect.

The foundation of dynamic symmetry is a pair of diagonal lines that run from opposite corners of your rectangular frame. You then draw another line from a corner that crosses the other diagonal line at precisely 90 degrees.

This is interesting mathematically as, whatever the portions of your rectangle, the same ratios will emerge in how these lines intersect.

You can then add additional lines that connect these intersections, creating vertical and horizontal lines that, by no coincidence, resemble the rule of thirds.

You can almost think of dynamic symmetry as being a more sophisticated and mathematically satisfying version of the rule of thirds.

While some photographers might use these lines to plan a shot — perhaps working in a studio or creating a still life — it’s more likely that you will find that you can apply these lines to photographs you’ve already taken. You can then slowly absorb how these images were effective in terms of their composition.

Dynamic symmetry can be effective because our eyes like to find certain patterns in what we see, giving us a subconscious sense of satisfaction when we encounter them.

5. Geometric Shapes

©  DesignClass

Our brains love being able to simplify visual data into strong geometric shapes, with circles, rectangles and triangles playing a strong role in how we take appreciation from a photograph.

A shape might be well-defined, perhaps framing a subject, or it might simply be implied, perhaps by how a couple of similar elements within the frame have been arranged.

If you have an empty frame with two dots, our brains will instinctively draw a line between the two, judging their relation to one another. Placed correctly, a third dot will prompt the brain to draw a triangle, and a fourth dot will suggest a square.

Geometrically simple shapes can help to create strong compositions, but remember that they become weaker as they become more complex, and become lost when other parts of the scene interrupt them.

• What is frame within a frame in photography?

6. Horizontal Lines

Horizontal lines connect with our understanding of the horizon and giving us a sense of stability and, as a result, calmness.

Unless you’re doing it for a particular reason, it’s best to make sure that your horizon is perfectly horizontal otherwise it will jar with your viewer’s perception of what is normal and potentially make the photograph feel slightly uncomfortable or unsettling.

Another reason for your horizon to be perfectly horizontal is so that it creates a parallel with the top and bottom edges of your frame. Just as the brain seeks out strong shapes, it appreciates it when these lines reflect one another.

7. Vertical Lines

©  Mauri Karlin

Vertical lines imply strength and solidity. As with the horizontal lines above, vertical lines often have their best impact when they are parallel with the left and right-hand edges of the frame.

Architectural photographers often work hard to ensure that their vertical lines are perfectly vertical as it helps to give a sense of presence, permanence, and precision.

8. Diagonal Lines

©  Joseph Ngabo

While horizontal and vertical lines tend to conjure calmness and stability, diagonal lines create drama.

In the photo above, the photographer chose to use a worm’s eye view to create intrigue with the trees shown at an unusual perspective.

Notice that the starting point for the dynamic symmetry described above is the two diagonal lines that go from corner to corner.

This pair has so much importance that they’re each given a name: the Baroque, leading from the bottom right to the top left, and the Sinister, leading from the bottom left to the top right.

Diagonal lines leading in from the bottom corners of an image give us a sense of perspective — think of a photograph looking down a road or a railway track and leading towards the horizon.

9. Parallel Lines

© Modern Affliction

Just like the geometrically pleasing shapes mentioned above, parallel lines stand out to the viewer.

Just like the shapes, they don’t need to be obvious; instead, they can be implied, perhaps through a cluster of similar elements.

10. Converging Lines

© Paulius Dragunas

Converging lines means diagonal lines, and the more pronounced this convergence, the more energy will be felt in an image.

Lines that come together bring the viewer with them and telling them where to go.

11. Curved Lines

© Steve Wiesner

Because they appear so frequently in nature, curved lines can often give an image a softer, more organic feel.

You can take this one step further by attempting to incorporate curves that reflect the golden spiral, drawing again on mathematical patterns that are found in nature.

The S curve is one example of using curved lines as a reference for composition in photography.

12. Leading Lines

Credit: Evi T.

Photographers use leading lines as psychological nudges that guide a viewer through a photograph, pushing their attention to the focal point, and emphasising the importance of a particular part of a scene. No wonder this has been a staple image composition technique in a photographer’s arsenal.

All of the lines described above can be leading lines. They often create the most impact when they bring the viewer in from the edge of the frame, perhaps leading to one of the intersecting points outlined in the rule of thirds or dynamic symmetry.

One tip to using leading lines in your as a reference for composition in photography is to get down low or hold the camera closer to the ground to accentuate the effect, as in the image above.

13. Fill the Frame

Credit: Luke Tanis

This is a compositional technique that can ignore every other technique on the list: take your subject, get close or zoom in, and include nothing else in your image.

If the subject of your photograph has a strong enough presence, you can create a very impactful composition by using it to completely fill your frame.

It might sound like something a child might do, but this can be a very effective and direct way of composing an image.

It removes any distractions and ensures that your viewer’s attention is completely consumed by one element. There’s no need for leading lines or creating a sense of balance as your subject has completely taken over the frame.

If you have a zoom lens, this technique is simple to implement. Without one, you can try using a wide-angle lens with a  short minimum focusing distance, and just get up close to your subject.

What does filling out your frame mean?

14. Negative Space

Credit: Morten Hornum

At the other extreme is negative space which uses large chunks of nothingness to create a sense of balance within an image.

Negative space is any area of blankness that is not the subject of a photograph. It’s a bit like the gap between notes that gives a piece of music its structure.

You can almost think of it being like a dramatic pause when someone is speaking. If it’s too long, it becomes distracting but if you get it just right, it adds emphasis and helps to convey the emotion of the words.

Using negative space as one of your composition techniques often means simplifying the number of elements within your frame and perhaps using a blank section of the sky or a wall to take up a large part of your frame.

Negative space gives greater prominence to the subject of your photograph, emphasising its importance and removing any intrusive elements that might be distracting.

15. Minimalism and Simplicity

© Glen Carrie

Closely tied with negative space is making use of minimalism. The human brain loves simplicity, part of why some of the most successful brand logos in the world — think of Nike or Apple — are little more than a basic shape in a single color.

In terms of composing a photograph, removing clutter and isolating your subject removes distractions and means that the visual impact of your image won’t be compromised.

Pay particular attention to unwanted elements at the edge of the frame as these tend to carry more  visual weight and can be even more distracting.

If you can’t frame them out, consider eliminating them when you come to edit your photographs using software such as Lightroom or Luminar AI.

16. Frames Within Frames

Frames within frames — also called subframes — are where a geometric shape (implied or otherwise) contains another element.

Someone standing at a window or in a doorway are obvious examples, but the possibilities to use this as a tool for composition in photography are endless.

You can construct a frame using out-of-focus foreground objects, use props, find natural elements such as trees, or even by positioning yourself or your subject so that they appear in between other people.

Frames within frames typically contain negative space that then help to isolate your subject and guide your viewer’s eye.

You can read more about how to use frames in our guide to foreground, middleground and background in photography.

17. Isolate Your Subject

This ties in and overlaps with a few of the rules of composition described above. It quickly becomes a way of seeing the world when you pick up your camera: position yourself or your subject so that its shape is not interrupted by anything else.

We know from this list that the human eye likes distinct shapes and having your subject shown cleanly in your image gives them a stronger presence within the frame.

This is because the eye is able to absorb their visual form more quickly and the brain gets a sense of satisfaction from their isolation.

To isolate a subject, you could present them within a subframe or surrounded by lots of negative space, or use a very shallow depth of field so that all of the background elements are blurred.

After familiarising yourself with this list of techniques, you’ll start to see how they are used by your favourite photographers, but none more so than this trick of isolating a subject.

18. Rule of Odds

Credit: Holly Mindrup

For some reason, the brain seems to prefer odd numbers over even when it comes to visual elements within a frame.

The number three is particularly effective and you will notice that it gets used frequently in product and food photography . Because of the repeating elements, it will either create a line or a triangle, both of which the brain appreciates.

19. Rule of Space

© Coen van de Broek

If an image shows that an element is moving — perhaps a vehicle, an animal, or simply someone walking — there are different energies created by the photograph depending on whether there is space shown in front of the subject for it to move into, or behind it which it has clearly just left.

Positioning the subject so that it feels like it is moving towards the centre of the frame rather than about to escape it can be more satisfying as the viewer has a sense of where the subject is going.

Having the subject about to leave the frame can invoke a feeling of drama as the viewer will have a subconscious urge to see where the subject is headed.

For animals and people, the direction of gaze can also have a large impact on the energy that a photograph conveys. Most television interviews will position a subject slightly towards one side and angled so that they’re looking towards the centre of the frame as it feels the most natural.

In a photograph that uses this setup, the viewer’s eyes will go straight to those of the animal or person, and then follow their gaze towards the middle of the image, giving a sense of balance.

If a person is looking away from the centre of the frame, it can be unsettling, or the subject might seem aloof or mysterious.

20. Similarity and Patterns

This is perhaps the one technique that attracts the eye more than the other photography techniques.

The human eye often likes to convert similar objects into patterns and finding simple repeating elements in your image can trigger connections, help the viewer to construct satisfying geometric shapes, and find a way of navigating the frame.

These elements don’t need to be identical and the similarities can be implied rather than exact.

21. Creating (or Disrupting) Balance

© Ruedi Häberli

Different parts of a photograph have different visual weight which can be determined by a number of factors such as brightness and darkness, the intensity of color, the simplicity of its geometric shape, how much of the frame it consumes, and more.

Balance can be achieved through simple techniques such as the symmetry described above. It’s also possible to create asymmetrical balance by pairing a subject with something that complements it simply by varying in size, shape, brightness, etc, or even an area of negative space

While many photographers are seeking to create a sense of balance and create a harmonious composition, you might equally try to disrupt this balance deliberately in order to bring energy to your image.

© Chris Lawton

Many of the rules for composition in photography listed here connect in some way to geometry but color is a little different. Despite this, it still has a large bearing on how a composition sits together.

Color theory is a bit of a rabbit hole but it’s worth having some understanding of how colors can work together, such as complementary colors that sit opposite one another on the color wheel.

Colors can have an impact on the sense of balance conveyed by a photograph depending on how different colors work together, and their brightness and saturation.

You can dive deeper into color theory here and in my guide to color photography here.

6 Photography Composition Practice Ideas

Knowing how to create a strong composition comes with a lot of practice and knowledge of the techniques in photography. Here are a few exercises to try to give yourself a head start in learning what works and what doesn’t.

• Use a fixed lens for a month – Zooming with your feet instead of your lens will get you accustomed to changing your position and finding new angles.
• Crop your existing photos – Go through your archive and see if there are any images that could be improved by cropping, perhaps shifting the horizon away from the center, or moving the subject so that they’re on one of the lines created by the rule of thirds grid.
• Crop someone else’s photos – We sometimes become a bit blinded by our own photos and cropping images taken by someone else can be a fun exercise in escaping certain patterns of thinking.
• Shoot centered and then rule of thirds – try shooting subjects by first positioning them in the middle and then one of the rule of thirds gridlines. When editing your images, reflect on which framing worked and why.
• Switch on an overlay when editing – when you are editing you images, switch on the cropping overlays that’s available in software such as Lightroom. There are usually several options available and these might help you discover new ways of seeing your images.
• Get high and low – Shifting your perspective can reveal leading lines that might otherwise have been invisible. New points of view can also conjure more creative compositions.

If you want more ways to perfect your composition in photography, the Photzy ebook ‘Understanding Composition’ is an excellent reference and one of the quickest way to getting a grasp on the topic.

It’s usually available for a massive discount – check today’s pricing here .

Final Words

Understanding how to compose a photograph develops over time, and while these rules can be useful, they can also be overwhelming and restrictive.

They offer a loose guide of what may work so it’s best to let them sink in slowly, play with a few of them when you’re out photographing, and take some time to figure out where you might have applied the rules — deliberately or otherwise — when you sit down to edit your work.

And don’t forget: there are plenty of excellent photographers out there who might have never heard of half of these rules for composition in photography, so don’t let them become something that limits your creativity.

If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch via the comments below. Good luck!

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Andy Day is a British photographer and writing, living and working in France, specialising in adventure, travel, architectural and landscape photography.

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A Complete Guide to Photography Composition

The moment you hold your camera up and press the shutter, you have composed a photo. You have made a conscious or unconscious decision to include somethings, and exclude others.

The key to improving your composition is to understand more about what “works” in a photo, and how. We’ve put together loads of advice to help you master the art of photography composition, so let’s dive in!

What is Photography Composition?

Composition is all about making the best use of the situation before you. It helps you to pull the viewer’s eye to where you want it. It’s about sending the message you want to send. And it’s the ability to make a truly eye-catching image. It’s a subtle art, and there’s lots to learn.

Thankfully, Expert Photography is here to help you get started with photography composition. In this article, we’ll take you through the basic photo composition rules and ratios. We cover all kinds of composition concepts, and we even look at composition techniques for specific genres of photography. 

Basic Photo Composition

Learning basic photo composition will improve your photography. The rule of thirds is a simple and effective technique. Divide your frame into thirds and place your subject or points of interest along the lines or at their intersections.

Visual weight is another important concept. Larger objects, bright colors, and high contrast elements have more visual weight. Use these to draw attention to your subject and create balance in your composition.

Leading lines, like roads or fences, guide the viewer’s eye into the scene. Frames, such as windows or arches, focus attention on a specific point. Depth can be created by including foreground interest or using a wide field of view. By understanding and applying these photo composition techniques, you can take your images to the next level.

The Rule of Thirds

The rule of thirds is a basic composition technique that can improve the balance and harmony of your photos. To use it, imagine dividing your frame into nine equal rectangles using two vertical and two horizontal lines.

The four points where the lines intersect are where you should place your subject or other points of interest.

For portraits, position the subject’s eyes or face near one of the intersections. In landscapes, place key elements like mountains or boats close to the points.

If your image has two main elements, like a landscape with a sky, use the rule of thirds to make one element take up a third of the frame and the other two-thirds.

You can also use the rule of thirds when cropping images in post-processing software like Lightroom or Photoshop. This can help you remove distracting elements and focus the viewer’s attention on your composition.

With practice, the rule of thirds will become second nature and help you create more engaging images. If you’d like to learn more about the rule of thirds , we have an in-depth article that covers the topic in greater detail.

Golden Ratio

The golden ratio and rule of thirds are two popular composition techniques in photography. The golden ratio is a mathematical principle that creates aesthetically pleasing images, while the rule of thirds is a simpler guideline that also produces good results.

The golden spiral, based on the golden ratio, leads the viewer’s eyes around the image in a balanced way. It’s best used for travel images or scenes with movement, as it emphasizes dynamism and guides the eye along the spiral.

In contrast, the rule of thirds is better for minimal scenes with a clear focal point. By placing the subject at one of the intersecting points of a nine-grid, the image becomes more visually appealing. Ultimately, the choice between the golden ratio and rule of thirds depends on the scene you’re capturing.

Check out this in-depth article to learn more about golden ratio composition .

Aspect Ratio

The aspect ratio is the proportional relationship between the width and height of your image. 4:3, 3:2, and 16:9 are all common aspect ratios in photography, and your camera might offer several options as standard. But how do you know which aspect ratio is best for you. 

The 3:2 ratio is one of the most popular in photography. Firstly, it’s the aspect ratio of 35mm film, so we’re accustomed to it from the analog days. It’s also the native aspect ratio of modern full frame cameras. But it’s also popular because it gives you visually pleasing and well-balanced images. 

4:3 has become popular because it’s a good fit for many digital screens, such as laptops and tablets. The 1:1 ratio has become one of the most common thanks to Instagram and other social media platforms. 

Learn more about aspect ratios for photography in our full article on the topic.

Subject Placement

Where you place the subject in your photos has a huge effect on your final composition. Use leading lines to draw attention to your subject or apply the rule of thirds to position them at points of interest. When photographing moving subjects, leave space in the frame for them to move into.

Contrasting colors, lighting, and textures can make your subject stand out. Side lighting adds drama while diffused light conveys calmness.

Experiment with different angles and perspectives to change the feeling of your image. Declutter the scene so every element has a purpose and leads the viewer’s eyes to your subject.

If you want to learn more about subject in your photos , we have a great in-depth article that explores the topic further.

Foreground, Middleground, Background

Foreground, middleground, and background are important elements in photography composition. The foreground is the part of the image closest to the camera, the background is the part furthest away, and the middleground is in between. Using these elements adds depth and dimension to your photos.

Try placing your main subject in the middleground and adding objects in the foreground and background. This makes the image more eye-catching. You can also combine this technique with the rule of thirds, leading lines, and creative framing to strengthen your composition.

Landscape photographers often use narrow apertures like f/8 or higher to keep all elements in focus. But you can also use wide apertures for a blurred background effect. If you want to learn more about foreground, middleground, and background , take a look at our guide.

Visual Weight

Visual weight, also known as balance, is an important composition rule that can improve your photos. The stronger an element’s visual weight, the more it draws in the eye.

To achieve a balanced composition, pay attention to the visual weight of objects in the frame. You can manipulate visual weight using size, color, saturation, tone, contrast, texture, focus, light and dark areas, and by including people or animals.

Experimenting with symmetry, asymmetry, and juxtaposing contrasting concepts can also create interesting compositions with balanced visual weight. Visual weight is a powerful tool for creating compelling images that engage the viewer.

Adding depth to your photos can make them more interesting and engaging. One effective way to create depth is by using the rule of thirds composition technique.

Place your foreground subject to one side of the frame, leaving space for the background on the other side.

The distance between you and your subject, as well as the focal length of your lens, can also impact depth. A wider field of view and more distance from the subject will include more foreground, leading up to the main focus of the image.

Vertical lines, like trees or buildings of varying heights, can also create depth when placed at different distances from the camera.

To learn more about adding depth to a photo , explore these techniques in greater detail in our full blog post on the subject.

Symmetry in photography is a powerful tool for creating eye-catching images. By using symmetrical compositions, you can turn simple subjects into stunning works of art.

There are several types of symmetry to experiment with, including vertical, horizontal, radial, and reflective symmetry. Vertical symmetry is the most common, where an imaginary line drawn down the center of the frame creates two mirrored halves. Horizontal symmetry is often used in landscape photography, particularly when incorporating reflections in water.

To learn more about symmetry in photography and how to use it creatively in your own work, be sure to explore our in-depth guide.

Using Triangles

Triangles are a powerful tool in photography composition. They guide the viewer’s gaze across the frame, directing attention from one point to another. By grouping three points of interest, you encourage the viewer to explore your image longer.

Triangles can be used to portray stability, aggression, or instability. The inclusion of triangles is inevitable in most photos, but using them properly is key. Implied triangles are the most common, where the shape is suggested without the viewer noticing.

You can also use converging lines to create triangles, either inside or outside the frame. Upside-down or oddly oriented triangles create an unstable feeling. Triangles act like arrows, drawing the eye to a specific point.

Check out this article if you’d like to learn more about triangles in photography .

Contrast is a key element in photography that can greatly improve your images. It refers to the difference between the elements that form a picture, such as changes in tones or colors.

There are various types of contrast, including color, tonal, and conceptual. Color contrast involves combining colors that are opposite on the color wheel, like red and green. Tonal contrast is the difference in brightness between the dark and light areas of a photo. Conceptual contrast is more abstract and involves putting together unexpected elements to tell a story.

You can use contrast to convey a particular mood in your images. High contrast photos have an edgy, strong feel, while low contrast images are dreamier. To learn more about contrast in photography , check out our in-depth guide.

Using Framing

Framing is a powerful technique in photography that can elevate your compositions. It involves using elements within the scene to create a frame around your subject, drawing the viewer’s eye to the focal point.

Light and shadows are great tools for framing. By deliberately using light, you can highlight specific elements in your image while letting darkness hide others.

Doors, windows, and actual frames make excellent framing devices too. They can be used in the foreground, with the subject shot through them, or in the background to emphasize the subject in front.

Foreground elements like branches, bushes, or flowers are also effective for filling negative space and adding visual interest.

To learn more about framing photography , check out this in-depth guide.

Filling the frame

Filling the frame is a simple way to improve your photography composition. It means getting close to your subject so it takes up most of the image. This brings focus to the main subject and removes distracting background elements.

You can fill the frame by using a zoom lens or moving physically closer to your subject. A zoom lens lets you get close even if you can’t move closer. But moving your feet often leads to better angles and perspectives.

Learn how to fill the frame with this handy tutorial and guide.

Creating Balance

Balance in photography is about creating visual harmony through the placement and size of elements in a composition. Symmetrical balance is easily recognizable, with identical objects placed in the same way on both sides of the frame. While pleasing, it can sometimes be boring.

Asymmetrical balance is more interesting, as it involves tipping the balance to one side more than the other. This is achieved by considering the visual weights of subjects and their positioning. Smaller objects can balance larger ones when placed further from the center, creating a dynamic equilibrium.

Our full article on balance in photography is a great resource if you want to learn more. 

Shadow Photography

Shadow photography can add drama to your images if you know how to use light and shadows effectively. Shoot during the golden hour when the sun is low on the horizon, casting long, prominent shadows.

You can also experiment with harsh sunlight, which creates strong contrasts and sharp shadows that add dimension to architectural and geometric structures.

Artificial light sources like street lights and neon signs are great for shadow photography at night. Look for objects with distinctive silhouettes that cast easily recognizable shadows, such as bicycles, trees, and human figures.

Understanding the concept of chiaroscuro, the contrast between light and dark, can help you create dramatic photos with rich textures.

Master shadow photography using our in-depth article on the subject. 

Using Lines in Photography Composition

Lines are a powerful tool for photography composition. Whether they’re road markings or structural lines on a building, you can use them to strengthen your compositions. You can use them to create symmetry or patterns, or you can use them to draw the viewers eye in a particular direction. 

This section takes a closer look at how you can use lines in photo composition. You can also see our full, in-depth guide on how to use lines in composition in this link. You can also click on the following links to learn about each sub-topic in more detail. 

Horizontal Lines

Horizontal lines are everywhere in photography, even in photos without straight lines. The frame itself is bound by horizontal or vertical lines. Using horizontal lines effectively can greatly improve your compositions.

Horizontal lines group elements together and establish details like direction and location. An unbroken horizon is boring, but intersecting it with a foreground object creates interest. Horizontal lines also give a sense of stability, especially when combined with strong materials.

Horizontal lines in photography are a powerful tool for improving your compositions.

Leading Lines

Leading lines are one of the most effective compositional tools in photography. They guide the viewer’s eye through the image, creating a dynamic feeling. Leading lines can be vertical, parallel, curved, diagonal, or even strong horizontal lines.

To use leading lines effectively, first determine your focal point. Then position yourself so the lines lead the viewer’s eye to that point of interest. Avoid lines that lead out of the frame or don’t lead anywhere, as they can confuse the viewer.

Leading lines are especially useful in landscape and architecture photography, where lines appear in many forms, both in nature and in the surrounding infrastructure. By being mindful when composing the image and using leading lines to your advantage, you can create more coherent and powerful compositions.

Eyeline Photography

Eyeline photography is a powerful compositional technique that allows you to influence your viewers and create more impactful images. By using the implied line created by a person’s sightline, you can direct the viewer’s attention and create dynamic tension or triangles of interest within the frame.

You can also use eyelines as part of your composition, such as following a line in the background to create a triangle that focuses attention back on the subject. When there are multiple eyelines present, it can create a back-and-forth motion between subjects or encourage the viewer to observe the image for longer.

By anticipating your subject’s eyelines and being prepared, you can use eyeline photography to capture natural-looking photos with the visual weight in all the right places. 

Perspective in Photo Composition

Perspective is one of the most important elements of photography composition. Every photo is shot from one perspective or another, so you’re using it without knowing it. 

But learning about perspective and using it in a more considered way with elevate your photography to new heights. You’ll be able to influence the viewers emotions and show them familiar subjects in a new light. 

You might be familiar with bird’s eye view or worm’s eye view , but there are many more perspective techniques you can harness for more impactful compositions. 

Our full guide to perspective in photography is the best place to start if you want to master the subject. We do cover some aspects of perspective below, but that article has everything you need. 

High Angle Photos

High angle photos offer a unique perspective that can add interest and drama to your images. By shooting from above, you can capture familiar subjects in a new and exciting way.

Even if your photo includes a horizon, you can still create a compelling high angle shot by keeping the horizon at the top of the frame and ensuring the rest of the image is visually engaging.

The orientation of your high angle photo can also impact its overall feel. Portrait orientation can create a sense of height and instability, while landscape orientation provides a more balanced composition. Experiment with both to see which works best for your subject.

You will find loads of   high angle photo ideas  in our in-depth article on the topic.

Low Angle Photos

Taking low angle pictures is a great way to add drama and interest to your photos. To capture a low angle shot, get down low and shoot upwards towards your subject. This perspective makes your subject look larger and more powerful.

Look for interesting foreground elements to include in your low angle photos. Shooting through grass, flowers, or other objects can add depth and texture to your images.

Experiment with different angles and distances from your subject to find the most compelling composition. Low angle photography is a fun and creative technique that can help you capture unique and eye-catching images. 

Dutch Angle Photography

Dutch angle photography is a creative technique that involves tilting your camera to create a sense of unease or dynamism in your photos. It’s a great way to add visual interest to a wide range of subjects, from street scenes to architecture.

To use the Dutch angle effectively, tilt your camera deliberately to create a strong diagonal line from one corner of the frame to the other. This can make vertical or horizontal lines appear more dramatic. You can also use a Dutch tilt to fit more into your frame when shooting in tight spaces.

When photographing common subjects, a Dutch angle can provide a fresh perspective and make the ordinary look more interesting. By experimenting with different degrees of tilt, you can find the most effective angle for each situation.

If you’d like to learn more about dutch angle photography , the best advice is to get out there and try it!

Two Point Perspective

Two point perspective is a powerful technique in photography that creates an illusion of depth. It involves using two vanishing points on the horizon line, with lines leading from these points toward the subject in the center of the frame.

This technique is especially useful in architectural photography, where geometric shapes and lines are abundant.

To create a two point perspective photo, find a suitable location with straight lines leading toward your subject. Stand at a spot where the subject is in the middle and the lines lead outward from the horizon.

Compose the shot with the subject centered and the vanishing points either on the horizon line or in the corners of the frame.

Mastering two point perspective can take your photography to new levels, emphasizing your subject and adding a sense of depth to your images. 

Color in Photography Composition

Colorful photos always attract attention. But if you consider color another part of composition and use it wisely, you can use color to add new meaning to your images. 

Even learning the basics of color theory can help you create more powerful photographs. Understanding concepts like complimentary or analogous colors gives you more control over your compositions. 

See our full guide to color theory in photography in this article. We have some color-related sections to follow, but that article is the best resource if you’re interested in color for composition. 

Complementary Colors

Complementary colors are opposite each other on the color wheel. They create the strongest contrast and a vivid, energizing effect that catches the viewer’s attention in a natural way. The most common complementary color pairs are red and green, yellow and purple, and orange and blue.

Using complementary colors in your photography is a powerful way to make your images pop. The contrast between the colors will draw the viewer’s eye and create an engaging, visually appealing photo. For a more balanced look, you can use different levels of saturation for each color.

Complementary colors are a fundamental tool for creating stunning photographs.

Analogous Colors

Analogous colors are three or more colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. They usually look good together because they share some common hues. Using analogous colors in your photos can create a harmonious and pleasing image.

Analogous colors are easy to find in nature, especially in macro photography of flowers and insects. Landscape photographers often use analogous color schemes without even realizing it. You can also find analogous colors in urban settings, like on city streets.

When using analogous colors, it’s important to keep your images interesting and well-balanced. Pay attention to composition and lighting, not just the colors. Take a look at our article to learn more about analogous colors in photography .

Color Blocking

Color blocking is a bold photography technique that uses two or three colors to create a striking image. The colors are used in large blocks, creating a simple but powerful color scheme that jumps out at the viewer. Color blocking uses color as a key compositional element, sometimes even making it the subject of the photo.

Photographers often mix complementary colors from opposite sides of the color wheel for maximum impact. Street photography, flat lays, food photography, product shots, fashion, minimalism, and portraits can all benefit from color blocking techniques. Look for colorful buildings, use vibrant props and backdrops, or incorporate the natural colors of your subject matter.

If you’d like to learn more about color blocking in photography , we have a detailed guide that dives deeper into this exciting technique.

Advanced Concepts in Photography Composition

We’ve covered all the basics of photography composition, so now it’s time to look at more advanced concepts, theories, and techniques of composition. 

Our full article on advanced photo composition ideas is the best resource if you want to take a deep dive into the subject. Or you can use the sections below as an introduction before you get stuck into the dedicated article. 

Rhythm in Photography

Rhythm in photography brings structure and stability to your images, like the beat of a drum. Elements repeat or echo throughout the frame, creating patterns that guide the viewer’s eye. These rhythmic elements can be shapes, lines, or even subjects positioned at different points.

Regular rhythm features identical elements repeating at even intervals, while random rhythm has elements that appear irregularly.

Alternating rhythm uses two different rhythms that work together or clash, and progressive rhythm forms patterns that lead the eye in a clear direction. Undulating rhythm is common in landscapes, with soft, rolling shapes creating a gentle harmony.

Rhythm is a powerful tool for rhythm in photography that can strengthen your composition in countless ways, from street photography to portraits and beyond.

Form photography is all about making subjects stand out as if they’re 3D objects. It creates a line between 2D and 3D by using the right kind of light, angles, colors, and depth.

To take stunning form photos, experiment with side light to emphasize your subject’s shape and textures. Use a large aperture to separate your subject from the background and create depth.

If your results don’t look eye-catching enough, try converting them to black and white to add emotion and put the spotlight on specific tones.

You can read our in-depth article to learn more about form in photography .

Negative Space

Negative space is the area around your main subject in a photo. It creates a relationship between the subject and the background, allowing the subject to stand out. Using negative space well can make your photos feel dramatic and draw the viewer’s eyes to the subject.

The space doesn’t have to be empty. It can contain objects or patterns, but they should blend into the background and not compete for attention. This directs the focus to the main subject.

Paying attention to both the subject and background will help you use negative space in photography to create compelling compositions.

Juxtaposition

Juxtaposition in photography is all about positioning contrasting elements to create a striking image. It can be as simple as showing the difference between big and small objects, or as complex as conveying social commentary through wealth and poverty.

Colors like black and white are great for juxtaposition. Contrasting shapes, lines, and patterns can also make an image pop. Even the subjects themselves can be juxtaposed, like a young child taking on an adult role.

Juxtaposition examples are everywhere, from architecture to technology to people. The key is to find those contrasts and capture them in a way that tells a story. If you want to see more creative juxtaposition examples , there are plenty to inspire your own photography.

Dynamic Tension

Dynamic tension is a powerful tool for creating dramatic photos. It involves using diagonal lines, paths, and body language that move in opposing directions. This creates a sense of tension and pulls the viewer’s eye across the image.

To identify dynamic tension, look for multiple diagonal lines moving away from each other, paths that move in opposite directions, and contrasting body language between subjects. The strongest dynamic tension comes from the widest angles between intersecting diagonals, ideally around 90 degrees.

Framing and rotation also play a role in enhancing dynamic tension. Experiment with different angles and compositions to find the most dramatic effect. However, use dynamic tension sparingly in your portfolio to avoid overuse. 

Golden Triangle

The golden triangle is a composition technique that uses diagonal lines to form right-angle triangles. This rule is similar to the rule of thirds, but the frame is divided differently. The main subject should be placed at the intersection of these triangles.

Using the golden triangle can add a dynamic feel to your photos. To compose a shot using this technique, imagine a diagonal line from one corner to the opposite corner. Then, draw perpendicular lines from the other corners to the diagonal line, forming triangles.

Golden triangle in photography is a great way to experiment with composition and create visually striking images.

Composition Tips for Genres of Photography

Most photography niches have particular demands when it comes to equipment, or lighting, or exposure. And composition is no different. We’ve put together some guides to a few of the more common niches where composition has to be mastered.

Food Photography

Food photography composition is all about arranging elements to keep the viewer interested. Use angles and orientation that complement the food, like shooting tall foods straight-on to emphasize their height and layers. Choose one main subject and a few supporting elements to create a focused composition.

Create a focal point to draw attention to the main subject, using light, color, isolation, or contrast. Negative space provides balance and breathing room around the subject. The rule of odds suggests using an odd number of elements, like three or five props, for a sense of harmony.

Place the main elements using the rule of thirds grid or visualize the composition with other cropping guides. The golden ratio creates flow and movement in a curved line, while the golden triangle moves the eye between points in an intentional way.

By applying these food photography composition techniques, you can create enticing images that draw in the viewer.

Architectural Photography

We have a collection of tips for better architecture photography composition.

Use a wide-angle lens to capture the bigger picture and show the building in its environment. Add leading lines to create a point of interest and direct the viewer’s attention. Include a human or other familiar object to give a sense of scale.

Focus on the details for a unique perspective. Look for reflections to add symmetry and contrast. Shoot during blue hour to capture buildings with artificial lights.

Create panoramas to capture large structures. Experiment with different angles for dynamic compositions. Incorporate patterns and repetition to add rhythm. Include people to make the photo more authentic and relatable.

To learn more about architecture photography composition , check out this in-depth guide.

Street Photography

Street photography is all about capturing life and telling a story with your images. It’s a great way to practice your composition skills because you have to shoot what you see without the luxury of staging shots. This forces you to look at the world and people differently, creating opportunities for amazing compositions.

Use the rule of thirds by mentally dividing the image into nine equal parts. Place points of interest on the intersections to create balance and impact. Include negative space to emphasize the subject and add mystery.

Explore depth of field using aperture settings. A shallow depth of field draws attention to details, while a deep depth of field keeps more of the image sharp. Use leading lines like roads, shadows, and gestures to guide the viewer’s eye.

Incorporate street photography composition elements like texture, patterns, framing, perspective, color, and black and white to create compelling images.

Travel Photography

Improving your travel photography composition is key to capturing the beauty of a destination. The rule of thirds is a basic technique that can add interest to your photos. Place important elements on the intersecting points of a 3×3 grid for a balanced composition.

Symmetry is another useful composition tool. Center the axis of symmetry in one direction, like a reflection, and place it off-center to direct the viewer’s eye. Leading lines, such as paths or fences, can also guide attention to your main subject.

Framing your subject with windows or arches provides context for spectacular views. Color is a powerful element that can lead the eye and balance the composition.

Changing your perspective by moving around or getting closer to your subject can make a big difference in your photos. Including people or familiar objects can help show the scale of large spaces or monuments.

With practice, these travel photography composition techniques will become second nature.

Landscape Photography

Composition is key in landscape photography. The rule of thirds is a great starting point, but don’t be afraid to explore other techniques like the golden ratio and golden triangle.

Symmetry can create striking images, especially when combining natural and manmade elements. Including an interesting foreground helps guide the viewer’s eye through the scene.

Framing your shot through natural elements like trees or windows adds depth. Simplify busy scenes by removing distracting elements or improving your landscape composition in post-processing.

Fashion Photography

Fashion photography requires great composition techniques while showcasing the subject’s clothing. The rule of thirds is a popular composition technique that involves dividing the frame into nine equal squares and placing the subject on one of the intersecting points.

Centering the subject can also work well for fashion portraits, but it’s important to consider the background and use elements to balance the composition.

Counterbalance involves using another component in the frame to create harmony when the subject is placed in an unusual position.

Telling a story through the images is also important in fashion photography, as it grabs attention and compels viewers to look at the image longer. Props can be used to create context and add dimension to the composition.

To learn more about fashion photography , check out this in-depth guide.

Family Portraits

Composing family portraits can be one of the trickiest assignments, and we have some tips to help you.

Use the rule of thirds to place your subjects along imaginary lines that divide the frame into thirds. This creates a balanced, natural-looking composition. You can also look for symmetry in the environment, like stairs or bridges, and position your subjects there.

Framing the family with elements like doors, trees, or windows draws attention to them. Be mindful of the horizon line so it doesn’t cut through people’s necks. Leaving negative space around the family keeps the image simple and distraction-free.

Change your perspective by shooting from different angles and heights. Cropping is a useful tool, but avoid cropping at joints or cutting off heads at the neck. Capture movement by giving the family space to move into the frame.

Most importantly, don’t be afraid to break the rules to get the perfect family portrait ! 

Some Masters of Composition to Inspire You

If you feel in need of inspiration, then take a look at some of the photographic greats. There is something to learn about composition from any great photographer.

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Henri Cartier-Bresson was a master of composition. He used figure-to-ground composition to make his subjects stand out by creating contrast between the subject and background.

Repetition was another technique he used to strengthen his compositions, like in his photo of the Bolshoi Ballet School where the repeated ballerinas and ballet barre lead the viewer’s eye through the frame.

Cartier-Bresson also used shadows to add interest and meaning to his photos. Diagonals and the golden triangle were other tools he used to draw attention to the most important parts of the image.

The Fibonacci spiral helped him create balanced, harmonious compositions.

Perhaps most importantly, Cartier-Bresson had a knack for capturing the decisive moment. His photo of a man jumping over a puddle is a perfect example of how he could capture a fleeting moment that tells a story.

To learn more about Henri Cartier-Bresson’s composition techniques , check out this in-depth article.

Ansel Adams

Ansel Adams was a master of landscape photography. He spent hours finding the perfect location and time to capture stunning images. Adams knew his camera so well that photography became instinctive for him.

Adams often placed the horizon high in the frame to emphasize the landscape’s scale compared to the sky. He also used post-processing techniques like dodging and burning to perfect his prints, sometimes spending an entire day in the darkroom to produce a single image.

To dive deeper into the lessons we can learn from this iconic photographer, Ansel Adams provides valuable insights.

Photzy Composition eBook Review

Improving your photography composition skills is important. Photzy’s Advanced Composition ebook can help you learn these skills quickly.

The ebook focuses on three key areas: pre-visualization, anticipation, and timing. It also covers 12 advanced composition tools like balance, lines, and depth of field.

Each chapter ends with a shooting assignment and quiz to help you practice. If you want to learn more about advanced composition, Photzy’s Advanced Composition ebook is a good option.

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Composition In Photography - 12 Amazing Techniques and Tips

What is composition in photography? In the most basic sense, photography composition definition can be said as how you put your subjects into your photo. It is how they are framed in the viewfinder and what you put around them. For example, if you had ten photographers take a picture of the same model in the same location, you would still get ten completely different images. The composition is where the artistry comes from in photography; it is where the human element overtakes the technical.

Even if you have the most expensive, top-of-the-line Hasselblad your photos will be nothing more than snapshots if you don't know the basics of how to compose a photograph. Alternatively, you could be shooting with a decade old smartphone and make stunning works of art with good composition. In other words, it's the composition that makes the photograph.

Before diving too deeply into photography composition techniques, a standard disclaimer must be given. Since photography is an art form, there really aren't any rules. Therefore, please consider these "photography composition rules" as guidelines and learning tools. Yes, rules are made to be broken. But before you can go breaking the rules, you must know what they are and why they exist.

Photography is a visual art . While art appreciation is a separate subject, it is a worthwhile endeavor to study classic art, paintings, and photography , to learn the basics of composition. The composition has been studied and pondered by artists for thousands of years now. Learning the history and the basics of art appreciation will make you a better photographer .

If there is one overarching take away from these photography composition tips, it should be to slow down and make your photographs. Think about the image you want your viewer to see, and think about the movement of their eyes. You want them to take a journey through your photography, and you want them to spend a little while on that trip. The last thing you want is for them to see it and move on.

12 Photography Composition Techniques

Here are the top photography rules, tips, and practices. Remember, these photography rules are made to be broken! Also, remember that some of these concepts can be combined and used together. They are not mutually exclusive.

Rule of Thirds

The rule of thirds is the most talked up of the rules of composition and is one of the easiest ways to teach photography composition for beginners. It's not the end-all-be-all rule, but it's a fabulous starting place.

To practice this rule, divide the frame of your photograph with two equally spaced vertical lines and two similar horizontal lines. These lines and the four points at which they meet create areas on your frame for placing subjects and essential elements.

Probably the most important takeaway from the rule of thirds is that subjects generally do not belong centered in the frame. By placing them carefully using the rule of thirds, you can control the final image and the journey your viewer takes through the frame.

The Golden Spiral

The golden spiral is a modification of the golden ratio , or 1:1.6. Greek mathematicians studied the golden ratio over 2,000 years ago, and some believe that the Ancient Greeks used it in the architecture of famous buildings like the Parthenon. It is also found throughout nature, from the spiral of seashells to the arrangement of leaves on plants.

Similar to the rule of thirds, the golden spiral can be applied to your photography by imagining the spiral shape overlayed on your image frame. The curves of the spiral move inward towards your central point of interest. These photos might seem more complicated at first, but they do lead to a visually interesting composition!

Just like the rule of thirds, this rule of composition sets the central subject outside the center of the frame. But the spiral leading to the subject introduces us to another composition style that's very important in photography. The elements that make up the spiral lead our eyes to the subject.

Once you start looking for them, lead lines are everywhere. A road, a rough footpath, a shoreline, a distant mountain range, the vertical trunks of trees in a forest, or even the arms and legs of a model can all be used in the composition of a photograph. At first, straight lead lines are the easiest to identify and follow. But as soon as you realize that a lead line simply leads your eyes, it becomes clear that even curved lines can get the job done. Leading lines are photography composition basics, which needs to be mastered.

The idea of lead lines is that the photographer arranges these elements in the photograph to lead the viewers' eyes to the subject. Once you know what to look for, you'll see lead lines everywhere.

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Give Moving Objects Space to Move

When shooting moving objects, be they people, planes, trains, or automobiles, it is preferable to compose your image in a way that gives the object somewhere to go. If the object is leaving the frame, it leaves the viewer with a sense of wonder, "Where is it going?" If you position the elements of a photograph so that it is moving into the frame, you are telling a story.

There's another rule here that should be mentioned. Since we read from left to right, it is most common to place moving objects moving from left to right. You can also accentuate the effect of motion by slowing down your shutter speed and widening your focal length to produce motion blurs . This technique is part of what is known as Bokeh in Photography .

Just like in post-processing, cropping refers to cutting something out. The art of composition is all about cutting stuff out. But know what goes and what stays in the frame is an important line. 

Generally, the goal is to crop distracting elements. Street signs, extra people, or excess cars are examples. All of these things may require the photographer to reposition themselves to better focus on the subject. You can crop photos with almost any photo editor. Smartphones nowadays have inbuilt picture editors to achieve that but if you are looking to explore more photo editing software do check out these alternatives .

Capturing Symmetry

Symmetrical scenes can make beautiful photographs. Think of reflection pools near monuments or calm mountain lakes reflecting fall colors. Likewise, architecture is full of symmetry. In some ways, human brains are programmed to respond to symmetry, so it always makes a captivating and exciting capture.

Symmetrical photos seldom follow the rule of thirds or the golden ratio. More often than not, the horizon bisects the frame equally, and the subject is centered. Sometimes it's okay to break the rules, but only if you realize why it works.

Framed Shots

Frames add a touch of drama and story to any photo. The view out of a window in a lighthouse or the view between large trees in a forest tell more than just the picture of the view itself. Another photo composition example can be garden archways which frame beautiful gardens or the way elaborate brick gates frame the vista of a distant grand mansion. The concept can easily be applied, and it can be combined with symmetry and lead lines too.

Find Balance

Images should have depth. This means that there is a foreground, a middle ground, and a background all clearly present. The subject can be in any of those places, but it's important to balance one with the other. This is especially useful when capturing landscape photography . Too often, the easiest photo to take is a simple snapshot of mountains in the distance. More often than not, these wind up on the editing room floor (an old school term for the delete key).

A better technique to emphasize the distant mountains is to find something interesting nearby to place in the foreground. Maybe a small creek could be in the frame, or perhaps a tree with some character. This is a bit like the last rule of framing things, but in this case, we just need some object in the foreground to give the photo depth. Practicing this can significantly improve your photography composition.

The same rule can be applied in reverse. Say you are taking a photograph at the beach. The ocean goes on and on and doesn't provide much depth to the image. A ship offshore, however, adds some interest and drama. Clouds also make great elements to add interest in the background.

In studio work, backgrounds are usually kept as plain as possible. But there is still something there, something showing that the model or subject is not hovering in space. Background lighting is essential to avoid flat and uninteresting photos.

Balance does not always refer to the foreground and background relationship. It can also refer to the actual subject in the frame. For example, if you're taking a full-length portrait and using the rule of thirds, what is along the other line and filling the other intersection points away from the subject? This would be a good spot for something that helps tell your story, be it a prop or background element.

Odd Numbers Rule

This rule applies to a lot of things, but in photography, it can be distilled down fairly simply. Try to keep things in balance by using odd numbers. Three trees, five people, or seven geese are examples of setups that could make great images. There's nothing very technical here other than the interesting fact that the human eye is attracted to odd numbers, so it makes a more pleasing composition.

Use Negative Space

The negative space in a photograph is the empty bits. These might have empty blue sky or water. Controlling that space can create powerful results. A lot of negative space can provide an openness or a feeling of freedom from the photo. A lack of negative space results in a focused crowding of the frame. Images that fill the entire frame are more intense. It's not a one or the other situation since they both have their place depending on the sort of photo you're trying to capture.

You can also amplify the effect of the negative by using photography props . 

Stock and marketing photographers love negative space because it provides a space for text. This doesn't necessarily make or break the photo, but it's something to think about.

Move Your Feet

Changing your physical position is one of the best photography composition tips you can get. Get the camera down low to the ground, or hold it up over your head. Changing your perspective often changes the entire mood of the photo.

Say it with Color

Color is the topic of entire courses. Painters and graphic designers give careful selection to the color used in their artwork with good reason. Colors invoke moods and emotional reactions, and they communicate with the viewer on a very fundamental level.

Photographers don't always give too much thought to the color used in their photos since they are usually capturing what is already in the scene. But sometimes a scene is so striking that the color stands out and the shutterbug wants to accentuate and emphasize it.

Having a foundational knowledge of color helps. A color wheel is a standard tool found in graphic design studios and every art classroom. It quickly shows which colors can compliment each other or which do not. There are also many apps and websites that offer the same functionality. While the landscape and street photographers might not be able to pick their colors, studio, product, and still life photographers certainly have a level of control over it.

Photography composition for beginners is a learning exercise. These tips and techniques are a starting point. There's certainly more to know and more things to think about, but from here you have the basic idea. The only way to master any art form is to practice it. And the way to practice is to keep in mind these rules and try them through different angles and locations. You will know if a rule is working or not. This will keep you from capturing random pictures quickly, which would be less appealing and take up memory. Now that you know what is composition and what are its types, it's time to go out and write your own story.

The photos you would take after learning these composition techniques have to be showcased somewhere, and what better place than Pixpa; which has dedicated themes for photographers. Sign up for a free trial of 15 days . 

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Tips to captivate your audience with the photographs in your presentation

A picture is worth a thousand words. We have heard this phrase hundreds of times and with reason. A photograph can help us to better express our ideas, to emphasise them, to bring them to life, to touch our audience, etc. As a matter of fact, we process images 60,000 times faster than texts. That's why today we are giving you several photography presentation ideas that will help you prepare a brilliant exposition.

Choose photography according to the context of the presentation

Pay attention to the quality of the images, where to include the photos in the slides.

Photographs should add value to your presentation. Always keep in mind what the goal of the presentation is and what you want to achieve with each image. Do you want to excite the public, put them in a particular situation, visually explain a problem, etc.? 

Think about what you want to make your public feel and look for pictures that help you achieve it and that are consistent with the copy. Both text and photos have to complement each other in order to help convey your ideas clearly. In this way, you will make it easier for your audience to understand your message and make them remember more. 

Also adapt the photographs to the people you are addressing. For example, text and images will have a different tone in a formal business presentation than in a creative strategy proposal to a client. In the second option you have more freedom and can use more daring images than in the first situation. 

In this example you can see how the image adapts to the client. We are presenting a strategy for a hotel so we choose a photo that transports you to a world of holidays, sunny days and swimming pools.   

Boutique Hotel Social Media template

Follow the colour palette of the template. Use photos with similar tones or the same filter if you want to create an even more professional photography presentation, like this example:

Use photos with the same colours of the template

Finally, think about including an image that interacts with the public and, at the same time, pauses your speech. Try including slides with questions or quotes that make your audience think, like the example below. If the tone of the presentation allows it, include an image with a more humorous tone that relaxes the atmosphere.

Slides with quotes can be a good idea 

Make sure that the images you choose are the right quality (minimum 800x600 pixels). A pixelated photo will detract from the quality of your photography Google Slides and PowerPoint presentations. 

Pro tip : Freepik offers an extensive catalogue of resources that you can download for free so you don't have to worry about this issue. 

Another thing to keep in mind is image optimization. If your presentation includes many photographs and they are not optimised, the final file size will be too big. This will make it difficult for you to share your presentation by email and could even cause errors.  

If you need to reduce the size of the presentation, you can readview our tutorials: How to Lower the Size of a Google Slides Presentation or How to Reduce the Size of a PowerPoint Presentation  

The layout is also important. Play with it. Instead of including three horizontal photographs, try putting two horizontal and one vertical, or vice versa. It will make it more dynamic, as in the example below:

Combine horizontal and vertical pictures

Watch the size of the photos. Are all the elements clear? You will have to make images bigger or smaller depending on their composition. This will also influence the number of pictures you can insert. The bigger they are, the smaller the number. And always keep in mind the final objective of the photo and the presentation.

Example of balanced use of photos

Consider the margins when inserting pictures. Check that there is enough space for the text and enough white to stop the slide becoming overcrowded. Think about the person who will see it and how to structure the information clearly.  

Pro tip: to make it easier, remember that Slidesgo presentation themes include photographs that can serve as a basis or inspiration for others that complement the ideas you want to convey, as well as alternative resources to personalise them even more. Adding photos to Google Slides and PowerPoint presentations is very simple. You can do so quickly by following these tutorials:  How to insert, crop or mask images in PowerPoint or Google Slides

Now you know how to make a presentation with pictures , it’s time to put it into practice! 

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15 Composition Tips for Powerful Photography

By Spencer Cox 14 Comments Last Updated On September 16, 2022

The following article contains a list of important composition tips to help you take the strongest possible photos. It goes without saying that composition is a very personal creative decision, so there are no truly universal do’s and don’ts. Nevertheless, there are certain techniques you can use to improve your photos, from forming a vision to refining your initial composition in the field. The goal is to make your image’s final message as clear and effective as possible.

Table of Contents

1. Have a Vision in Mind

The first step in making a successful photo is to have a plan – a vision – an idea. In your mind’s eye, see the image you want to capture, and then do everything possible to make it a reality. This is called visualization.

It’s not an easy skill to learn. You need to be so familiar with your camera, your post-processing abilities, and your printing/output characteristics that it’s second nature to picture the final image in your head before you even capture it. That takes a lot of practice.

But good visualization skills are worth it. In the field, you’ll know exactly what you can and cannot do to improve a photo in post-processing. You’ll see ahead of time which elements of the image are going to annoy you later – and how to deal with them as best as possible in the field.

You’re thinking about the best possible version of a photo, then doing everything you can to make it a reality. Every decision you make in the field should be in service of your vision.

2. Make Conscious Decisions

You have a large number of decisions to make each time you take a photo. Many of them are automatic or obvious, and they only matter occasionally (like deciding to change your memory card). But some decisions impact every photo, even if they slip behind the scenes all too often.

Ideally, you’ll want to bring as many subconscious decisions to the surface as possible. Every choice in photography is an opportunity to push the photo closer in the direction of your vision. This isn’t just about composition or creativity; your technical decisions also have a huge impact on your photos and their mood. I’m fond of saying that every technical choice is really a creative choice in disguise – because it is.

The important thing is to not let these decisions fly by on autopilot. When you pick a particular set of camera settings, know why you’re doing so. Don’t just use a focal length because that’s what you had for the last photo. Instead, evaluate the scene in front of you and deliberately pick which focal length will meet your vision the best. And so on, for every decision you make.

3. Keep It Simple

Your vision for a photo is another way of saying your intended message . Which emotions do you want to convey to a viewer? What mood or ideas do you want your photo to express? This is where simplicity plays a critical role.

When you’re making conscious decisions to meet your vision, remember that the emotional message won’t land if it’s hard to understand. Simplify your idea down to its essence; exclude anything from your photo that takes away from what you’re trying to say.

Simplicity might just be the biggest “trick” to improving your compositions. Before you take a photo – but after you know what you want to say – look for any distractions in the frame that harm your message. Get rid of them in your composition, or minimize them as much as possible.

Unless you’re doing studio photography where you have total control, some flaws will almost always appear in the image. But the sooner you recognize them in the field, the less of a problem they’ll be in the final photo.

I recently was photographing salt formations at the Dead Sea around sunset. It was a beautiful location, but a dark peninsula on the left-hand side of the frame made the composition tricky. So, as the light turned good, I packed up my camera and went to the tip of the peninsula itself (thereby excluding it from the composition). I took perhaps my favorite image of the entire trip from that spot.

Although the earlier location had a lot of merits, the peninsula distracted from the hazy, peaceful message I wanted my photo to convey. For the sake of simplicity, I needed to change locations.

4. Watch How the Light Changes

As we’ve covered before, light and color are two of the most important qualities for determining the mood of a photo. High-contrast blue light is very different from pastel orange at sunset. Yet both of them can occur within thirty minutes of each other. That’s why it’s so important to watch the changing light in a scene.

Don’t just choose “both” and photograph the same scene the entire time. Perhaps the light at sunset is perfect for wildlife photography, but it gradually shifts to working better for a landscape instead. In any case, by watching the mood of the light, you can get multiple keepers from a photoshoot rather than just one.

I recently was taking sunrise photos from an amazing overlook, and the obvious landscape for photography faced one particular direction. I could have composed a good photo, set up my camera on a timelapse, and selected the one with the best light later. And while that certainly would have resulted in a keeper, I instead ended up with four  different successful images from that single sunrise, the most I’ve ever gotten at a time. That happened because I watched the changing light and focused on different subjects throughout the morning.

5. Balance the Composition

One of the many decisions you should make consciously is whether to create balance or imbalance in your composition. In other words – will the photo lean left or right and create a sense of tension? Or will it have equal weight on both sides, appearing more static but also more harmonious?

Balance is about assessing the visual weight of your scene and simply figuring out whether there’s more on the left or right. I generally want my landscapes to be as balanced as possible, with no real sense that they are “leaning” one direction or another. However, I have seen some documentary photographers and even nature photographers aim for strong imbalances to make the photo feel more “on edge.”

To me, this is the first element of composition that you should learn and think about for every photo, wether you choose to go for balance or imbalance in a given image. In my opinion, photographers who master balance and simplicity already understand the fundamentals of composition, since they know what looks harmonious  (balance), what looks tense (imbalance), and how to get there (simplifying the frame). Read our more detailed article on the subject as well.

6. Pay Attention to the Edges

The edges of a photo are just as important as the center. In some ways, they’re more important; a tiny distraction near the edge of your frame has a far greater effect than the same distraction near the center. There’s a reason why vignetting – darkening the edges and corners of a photo – is so popular, since it practically spotlights the rest of the frame without appearing unnatural (so long as you don’t overdo it).

This isn’t to say that your photo should always be dark and empty in the corners. That’s not always possible, let alone desirable. But you should at least think about the edges of your photo while you’re composing.

Keep your subjects away from the far edges unless your goal is to create an unusual composition. Try to cut off the boundaries of a photo in a thoughtful, careful manner. And, in post-processing, crop, darken, desaturate, or clone out distractions along the edges of the composition if they harm your image significantly.

7. Use Contrast and Color Contrast

Another important emotional dichotomy in composition – along the same lines as balance and imbalance – is high versus low contrast.

Photos with high contrast attract the eye and pop out, conveying a sense of intensity and power. Low-contrast images, on the other hand, are more subtle and subdued, but they also have a refined quality to them. Neither type of photo is better than the other, but both send different messages, so it’s important to make this decision in service of your vision for the image.

Madhu wrote a more detailed article on contrast , but the biggest takeaway is that there are multiple types of contrast. Although the classic high-contrast image has bright highlights and deep shadows, you can attract the eye just as strongly through color contrast – placing two opposing colors next to one another. The same emotions apply, though.

So, in the field, seek out scenes and light with contrast that suits your emotional message. And, in post-production, add or decrease contrast (locally or globally) to further refine your photo’s emotions.

8. Know How to Draw the Eye

High contrast isn’t the only feature of a photo that draws a viewer’s eye. We’re attracted to anything that catches our attention in the real world: bright objects, vivid colors, people’s faces, interesting shapes, unusual objects, strong texture, interesting patterns, and so on.

This is very useful information to know as you compose a photo. On one hand, it helps with balance – you can balance out your main subject simply with a bright object on the other side of the photo, since both may have similar levels of visual weight. But beyond that, if you know how to draw a viewer’s eye, you can post-process a photo to emphasize the important elements and diminish the ones that harm your message. This is where the classic “ dodge and burn ” edits come into play.

9. Give the Composition a Structure

Every photo has a structure to it – an organization behind the scenes. This is essentially the path a viewer takes through the photo, although of course it is impossible to predict exactly how someone’s eye will flow through an image.

I’ve always found it interesting that you can reduce most photos down to a handful of lines and shapes, yet still retain much of the emotional mood of the original image. That’s because the emotions of a photo are fundamentally tied to its structure, perhaps more so than we consciously realize.

So, in the field, give a bit of thought to the structure of a photo. Arrange the elements of your composition as if they are abstract shapes placed on canvas, not simply literal subjects. And, in post-processing, strengthen the photo’s structure through global and local adjustments as needed.

10. Watch for Patterns

Repeated patterns in a photo make your composition feel interconnected and intentional as if the photographer took a particular image for a reason. But that’s not the only type of pattern in photography. Just as important – maybe more so – are the cycles that occur in the real world, repeating themselves with remarkable regularity.

Several years ago, when I was taking pictures of a glacial lagoon in Iceland, an Arctic tern flew in front of the perfect iceberg. I had set my camera for landscape photography, not wildlife, so I missed the shot. But fifteen minutes later, it flew by the same spot, and I started to think that it was going in circles. I changed my camera settings and waited, and sure enough, what I believe to be the exact same bird flew by a third time, and I captured the photo I had in mind.

So, watch for patterns – not just visual repetition that appears in a photo, but also patterns and cycles in nature. If you miss the shot you wanted, chances are good that a similar scene will appear again eventually.

11. Match the Tripod to Your Composition

The easiest way to use a tripod is to set it up at its full height, then attach the camera and start composing. But that technique can be quite harmful if it’s your default.

On one hand, how often does the best possible photo really match up with an eye-level tripod? Maybe for some images – like distant landscapes or wildlife in the sky – it doesn’t really make a difference. But in many other cases, the best compositions are much lower to the ground. It could be wildlife at eye level with your subject, landscapes with a dramatic foreground, street photography to capture the reflection in a puddle, and so on.

Second, before you set up your tripod in a given spot, you need to have a good reason to choose there rather than somewhere else. Composition should begin well before your camera is on the tripod. Otherwise, you might anchor yourself to a frame out of convenience rather than quality.

Instead? Walk around, try different heights, tilt the camera, change lenses, compose – and only then match your tripod to your composition.

12. Keep Moving

Along the same lines as the prior tip, it’s important to remember that photography is not a spectator sport. Sometimes, you almost have to fight the scene in front of you to wrest free the best composition. You’ll need to move around, walk or run into place, try out different angles, and rarely stay still.

As much as I like the sound of standing by a tripod as the sun sets, sipping a warm drink and enjoying the atmosphere, that’s rarely what ends up happening. Instead, I tend to dash around like a madman as the light changes, jumping from one vantage point to another. Even at overlooks where there isn’t much of a different location in the first place, I still change lenses and compositions whenever a spark of inspiration hits.

Some exceptions are when you wait around for ages in a wildlife blind or on a street corner to catch the perfect moment, or arranging a tabletop studio scene meticulously. In those cases, you might not be moving much, but you’re definitely still putting in the effort to capture a good photo.

13. Give Your Subjects Breathing Space

When you’re composing a photo, it often helps to give your subject a sense of breathing space – not placing other subjects too close, and especially not crossing the primary subject with one that isn’t as important.

For example, if you’re photographing a mountain in the distance, take the time to move around and change the composition so the peak isn’t covered by a nearby tree. The same goes if you’re photographing a flock of birds, for example; you don’t want them to cross one another and become distractions.

Breathing space alone is not enough to guarantee a good composition. But it’s still important; give your subjects the space they deserve, or your message could get lost and muddled.

14. Unify the Photo’s Emotions

Many of the tips so far have danced around the topic of emotion, such as balance, light, color, and structure. All of these elements, among many others, are part of that decision-making process you practice for every image. If you can make it so that all these elements work in tandem , each working in service of a singular emotional message, your photo will be successful on many different levels.

This is what I mean by unifying the photo’s emotions. If the light in a photo is soft and gentle, but your subject is jagged and harsh, the image’s emotional message is unclear. If your composition is dynamic and imbalanced, and the structure of the photo is a tense series of jagged lines, does your subject convey a similar mood? Or is your composition like that by accident?

Every decision you make is a chance to skew the emotional message of the photo in the direction you want. Crowded or empty; bright or dark; low or high contrast; blurry or sharp – and so on. The key is to make these decisions deliberately and intentionally. The more choices you can make consciously rather than by happenstance, the better.

15. Refine Your Composition

Last, and among the most important tips in this list, is to refine your composition when you’re taking pictures. Work with the scene. Take some sample photos and see how they look, analyzing them critically to see what works and what doesn’t. Compare the emotional message – the vision – in your head, versus the image on the back of your camera screen. How do they differ?

Not everyone’s style of photography works well with refining the same composition. Some people prefer spontaneity and on-the-spot emotional decisions. That is an equally fair approach, although even then I believe photographers will benefit from refining the idea in their head and the goal they have in mind. We also have a longer article on the refining process if you want concrete examples of how this works in the field.

At the end of the day, though, the real takeaway is that there’s always room to improve. Not just in a single photo – in your overall composition and visualization skills, too. No one out there has “solved” composition, and there’s a lot of personal style involved as well, so finding an endpoint here isn’t really the goal. The biggest piece of advice I can give is to just keep taking photos along the way.

• Introduction to This Guide
• What is Composition?
• Elements of Composition
• The Refining Process
• Composition Tips (You Are Here)

About Spencer Cox

I'm Spencer Cox, a landscape photographer based in Colorado. I started writing for Photography Life a decade ago, and now I run the website in collaboration with Nasim. I've used nearly every digital camera system under the sun, but for my personal work, I love the slow-paced nature of large format film. You can see more at my personal website and my not-exactly-active Instagram page .

Last year, my wife and I took a bus rail trip in the Canadian Rockies, followed by an Alaska cruise. I was generally unsatisfied with my composition. These tutorials have been the best (and most detailed) discussion of composition. Now, on to the linked articles to continue building on the basics, with frequent photo safaris. Thank you for the great tutorials..

You have to have a vision so you can know what you’re going to do instead of rushing in watch how the light change you gotta make sure the lighting is good give your subjects breathing space you have to give a person space so they won’t feel uncomfortable that could mess up the photos pay attention to the edges you have to know the angles unify the photo emotions in order to get a good picture you have to understand it

Just come across the article, so thanks for writing it, but it does leave me with the same question I have with similar articles – there is always reference to “the viewer” but no definition of who the “viewer” may be. Given the responses one typically sees on websites / forums / social media it appears that the majority of people who concern themselves with composition are other photographers whilst the general public seem more interested in puppies, kittens and ‘look at me’ posts by friends and sunsets / sunrises over iconic landscapes.

Yes I do appreciate that’s quite a generalisation, but in all the articles about composition, there never seems to be any focus given to the importance of the photographer’s vision and what will be required both in capture and post-processing to meet their visualisation of the end product, without which if an image is forced to fit into preconceived patterns, images just become a tedious repetition of pictorial cliches.

These are just amazing pics! But does one have to wait for eternity to get these moments?

I am a 30 seconds photographer….I can only afford one family vacation, and all the time I have to frame, set and shoot is 30 seconds..anything more than 30 seconds and ….. Am I alone in this world facing this challenge?

I look forward to article on the time & safety dimension /constraint on composition- do you visit a place beforehand, see the landscape, wait for next sunrise to lit it the way you imagine, lights to change/clouds to come ? or you just go hiking and shoot what you get? Many of these places are exposed to landslides, rock falls, cloud bursts and weather change, they could be so remote that an immediate help is a ?

I have been able to greatly improve my photography with the articles @PL and look fwd to the community for help.

Yes, unless you’re incredibly lucky. At least that’s what I’ve learned. One of my most satisfying images involved scouting and then walking the site for about 3 hours and positioning my location in perspective(composition) to the subject and anticipating the changing light. It ended up being an all day and part evening effort that exceeded my expectations. It was a lot of work! Think of it like a movie and how the director scouts locations in hope to bring to fruition his/her vision for the story and plot. You can get lucky and capture an incredible keeper the first time out but luck tends to favor experience & the prepared. Hence, for those images that continue to resonate over time, plan on prep, practice, patience, timing, gear expertise…and luck. Best of luck!

Thank you, Sushant! Excellent questions.

First, read my comment to Neil above. In short, sometimes a brief, gut-reaction-style photo has more emotion than one which is meticulously planned, because you can forget your original emotional reaction over time if you aren’t careful. As a result, at least some of the photos in this article and others of mine are very spur-of-the-moment indeed.

Sanford is right about scouting. It is an excellent practice if you have the time. However, until recently, most of my landscape photos have been done on family trips where I have perhaps a couple hours in a general area to prepare, but rarely or never time to set up an exact composition ahead of time. That part is about putting yourself in a place that gives you good odds of capturing a nice photo in various directions of the light gets good, such as planning to be on the Mesquite Sand Dunes around sunset (if you’re in Death Valley, for example). Of the images in the article above, there was not a single one where I had tried the exact composition a previous time and then returned for better light later. Only a couple were even general locations I had visited before. But all were places where I had spent at least 15-30 minutes looking around, testing compositions, and going through the refining process (see this article: photographylife.com/the-r…ng-process ). It depends on who you’re traveling with, but if you pick your moments and move around even within a smaller area, you may have some more flexibility than you would expect.

As for safety, it helps to travel in groups, and many of these images were not in locations as remote as they seem. Only the mountain goat photo was taken more than a mile or so from a building/road. But they can still be dangerous if you’re not careful. I always carry a GPS anywhere even slightly remote (plus the one on my phone), and I take note of weather conditions that may prevent me from traveling on the route I need to take. I’ve started carrying a satellite phone recently, although that may be overkill depending on where you go. A personal locator beacon can serve the same purpose, although both of these need a subscription of some kind, so they’re not cheap. But for travel in the middle of nowhere, it’s nice peace of mind.

Thanks for a really well written and informative article. How about writing something for the masses? The great majority, myself included, don’t head off with a sackful of gear looking for the perfect shot, meticulously planning, positioning and composing. We tend to go out and about and the camera just comes along. Something for us spur-of-the-moment, grab the shot while you can types would be great. I realise great shots rarely just happen, but what about a basic field course of try-to-do and try-to-avoid?

Thank you, Neil, and you bring up a great point.

My opinion on spur-of-the-moment shots is that they are underrated. At their best, these photos can brim with emotion in ways that are trickier to accomplish with slow, meticulous photography, since you shoot them based on gut reaction over anything else. It’s like an improvisational piece played by an expert on the piano; it might be less refined than a famous concierto, but it also mimics the musician’s emotions of the moment better than the more precise piece.

So, my recommendation is to go all-in if that’s the route you prefer. Don’t pause for ages and ask yourself all the questions in the world; shoot spontaneously and don’t feel like you’re missing out, but always do so from the heart – in other words, keep emotion in mind. Don’t ignore scenes that strike your eye.

The good news is that you still have time for careful refining in post-processing, including cropping as well as dodging and burning. Most likely, the results you get won’t look as precise or refined out of camera as if you had spent ages on each photo. But they very well might capture emotions that would have faded away if you waited too long in the field.

Thanks for this very good article!

Thank you, Daniel, I’m glad you enjoyed it!

Nice piece, using five different lens perspectives.

Thank you, Michael! I’m interested to know what five perspectives you’re referring to. If it’s about focal lengths, the ones in this article are 24, 24, 39, 15, 102, 160, 135, 175, 56, 35 (the sand dune photo without info underneath), 105, 21, and 70. That encompasses everything from 15mm to 175mm, so that definitely is a wide range!

Maybe “perspectives” was not a good choice of words. I like that the compositions demonstrated the use of five different tools/lenses: 24mm, 24-70mm, 15-30mm, 70-200mm and 105mm.

Definitely, that makes sense. I’ve shifted over time from an all-prime kit to an all-zoom one today, but the photos in the article span a few years. I still prefer primes in theory, but there isn’t a good set of small f/2.8 or even f/4 lenses that would fit better with my style of shooting. My ideal kit would be something like a 16mm f/2.8, 24mm f/4, 35mm f/4, 50mm f/4, and 70-200mm f/4, all lightweight plastic gems! But a zoom kit replicates that without too much issue.

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The big fish blog, 5 key principles of using photography in presentations.

A picture is worth a thousand words. But what does that mean? Images are powerful and emotional. One image can tell an entire story. Images stir curiosity and engage an audience that wants to be entertained. In a presentation, images create an experience and leave a reference visual for your audience to remember in the future. Using photography in presentations can be tricky if it isn’t used correctly. Here, Big Fish makes it easy to understand the five key principles of photography to make your presentation worth viewing.

1. Rule of Thirds

One of the most well known principles of photography and one that is most important is the rule of thirds. The idea is to break down an image into thirds (vertically and horizontally) so that the image has nine parts. The goal is to place the image’s points of interest at the intersecting lines. Studies have shown that viewers’ eyes naturally veer to the intersection points rather than the center, allowing for a more balanced photo that enables the viewer to interact with the image more easily. You can read more about the rule of thirds on a past Big Fish blog here: https://bigfishpresentations.com/2012/07/25/presentation-design-the-rule-of-thirds/

Depth of field can be difficult to understand and execute for an untrained photographer. It is the amount of distance between the nearest and farthest objects that appear in acceptably sharp focus in a photograph. The subject in specific focus in front of, behind, or around its out of focus surroundings determines depth of field. Depth can be shallow or extended, depending on the subject. Many things can influence depth of field including camera settings, focusing distance, aperture, and even print size. Depth of field allows for a deeper focus and stronger subject setting in your images.

Shallow depth of field

Extended depth of field

3. Natural Photography

The best way to get an audience to understand your images is to have your photography look natural. Stiff and staged photos seem unrealistic and form a disconnect for the viewer. Candid photos that are taken in everyday environments are likely to make a larger impact and allow your presentation and the idea you are pitching to seem more relatable. When trying to capture natural photos, guide your subjects in the direction of what you are looking for, but don’t micromanage the photo-shoot. Let the instinct of your subjects form the image intuitively.

There are many pros and cons of using stock photography in presentations. They are usually low cost, quick and easy to access, and provide a wide variety of images to fit your specific need. On the other hand, they are often predictable and used by many people in your same field and hinder your presentation design. Focus on getting natural photos (see above), and always be sure to never include the typical white background attached to a stock photo. A simple fix of deleting the white layer in Photoshop makes all the difference.

5. High Quality

Having a high-resolution photo drastically changes how your image will come across. A pixelated image across a large screen makes your work look sloppy, and you can lose credibility. Be concise when using images, and be sure to try your presentation on several different platforms in case there is a need to choose a new image. A simple rule of thumb is that images should be no larger that 1600 x 912 pixels. Always use good quality, high-resolution images to insure a high quality presentation.

Follow these principles of photography, and your presentation will be sure to tell an amazing story every time. Want to know more about the wonderful world of presentations? Subscribe to our blog for all the latest tricks and trends in the industry.

http://digital-photography-school.com/rule-of-thirds/

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215 photography tips, video tutorials and techniques to take photos of anything

These photography tips will supercharge your skills and push your picture taking to the next level

• Landscape tips
• Portrait tips
• Animal tips

Street photography tips

• Filter tips
• Creative tips
• Camera hacks

Shooting tips

Photographer tips, editing tips.

No matter how long you've been shooting, there are always photography tips you never knew about that will improve your ability to conceptualize, create and capture images – or even just have fun playing around.

Photography tips aren't just for photography rookies; even for seasoned pros, there is always something fresh to learn or an old bad habit to put right. From the basics and foundational techniques to camera hacks and high level post production tricks, this collection of tips and tutorials will enable you to get the most out of your photos.

If you're looking to take perfect portraits, shoot luscious landscape, capture wonderful wildlife shots and master macro, or if you're after some quick editing tips for Photoshop , Lightroom or Affinity, this is the essential guide for you.

We've arranged these photography tips and tricks into sections, so you can use the scroll bar above to get started and improve your images right away. 

For even more tips and videos, make sure to check out our best-selling photography publications, Digital Camera magazine , PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine , Digital Photographer and N-Photo . Each issue comes with a free disc packed with photography projects, techniques and tutorials, Photoshop lessons and much more. These are broken down into detailed guides in the magazine pages, too, so you can bring the mag along and follow the steps on your next shoot.

Landscape photography tips

1. How to capture great sunsets

Getting the most out of sunsets needs patience and timing. The best pictures are usually when the sun is close to the horizon and clouds are lit from below. And a telephoto lens can often give more impact than a wide-angle. 

2. Use hyperfocal distance for depth of field

You can maximise depth of field in landscapes by focusing at the 'hyperfocal' distance. This is where the far distance is at the far limit of your lens's depth of field, and this also gives you the best depth of field nearer the camera.

3. Look for foreground interest

Wide-angle lenses are great for capturing wide, sweeping landscapes, but they can also capture lots of empty foreground, so look out for rocks, trees, gates or other objects you can include to add foreground interest.

4.   Blur waterfalls and rivers with long exposures

You can capture silky smooth water or softly blurred moving clouds by putting your camera on a tripod and using a long exposure. And if the light is too bright for a long exposure, you can either use an ND filter or wait until dusk!

5. Use leading lines to draw viewers in

Use 'leading lines' in your landscape photos to draw your viewers' eyes into the picture. A leading line could be a jetty on a lake, a line of rocks or a footpath winding its way into the distance.

6. Use long lenses for more effective flower shots

It's tempting to use a wide-angle lens to capture a great swathe of floral color, but this can lead to individual blooms being lost. Instead, use a telephoto lens to pick out single flowers or clumps – this will also add artistic blur to the background.

7. Enhance your landscapes with reflections in water

Lakes and rivers can produce beautiful reflections that add foreground interest and a peaceful symmetry to a scene. If you get right down low, even a small pool or puddle can provide a reflection.

8.  Check your exposure with the camera's histogram

Landscape photography can often mean balancing extremes of brightness in bright skies and shadowed foregrounds. Make sure you don't clip any highlights in the sky before you shoot by checking your camera's histogram.

9. Use an L-bracket for easier vertical shots

Not all tripod heads are well adapted to vertical shooting, especially with large and heave camera and lens combinations. The solution is an L-bracket, where you mount the camera sideways on the bracket, but the bracket attaches to the tripod head normally. This is great for horizontal 'pano' shots, too.

Read more: 16 essential landscape photography tips

Portrait photography tips

10. Practice classic lighting setups

'Rembrandt', 'Clamshell', 'Backlight', 'Rim-lighting' – these are all tried and trusted portrait lighting setups, each of which gives its own distinctive look. If you practice getting these set up, it leaves you free to concentrate on your subject.

11. Headshot photography tips with a speedlight

If you're photographic head and shoulders portraits with a speedlight, the secret is to move it off-camera and use a softbox or other flash modifier to give a softer light. This will immediately give a more rounded, flattering light for faces.

12. Use asymmetric compositions for couples

Photographing couples is not as easy as it sounds. The answer is not to show them side by side in a perfectly symmetrical arrangement, but to find off-center poses or activities where your couples are at a different height.

13. Try natural light for fine art nude photography

Natural light is softer and easier to work with than flash, and by changing the distance between your model and the window, you can change the intensity and softness of the light.

14. Plan ahead for boudoir photography shoots

Work out what lighting you're going to use, the clothing your model is going to wear, and work out a list of poses you want to try. The model may have some ideas too. The more you can plan ahead, the more stress-free the session.

15. Use fill-in flash to add 'sparkle' in outdoor portraits

You don't need a high-powered professional flash here, just your camera's built-in flash or an external speedlight. The idea is to just brighten the shadows, not to overpower the existing ambient light.

16. Try off-camera remote flash

Most camera and flash makers now offer remote wireless flash control for one or more flashguns, and this is a great way to experiment with different lighting angles and setups – and there won't be any cables to trip over.

17. Achieve more natural lighting with bounce flash

It's an old technique but a great one. Instead of pointing the flash directly at your subject, you turn it to 'bounce' it off a nearby wall, ceiling or other reflective surface. This is why more advanced speedlights have tilt and swivel heads.

18. Create Gobo lighting effects

It's a classic cinema technique, using gobos (something that 'goes between' the light and the subject) to create the lighting pattern of window frames or Venetian blinds, for example, and you can use the same technique for portrait photography too.

19. Use a wide-aperture prime for soft baby pics

You can get beautiful baby and newborn portraits using soft lighting and a prime lens with a very fast maximum aperture. The shallow depth of field emphasises the softness of the subject.

20.  Tips for posing group shots

Posed group shots can look very staged and static, so for smaller groups try finding an activity or an action that breaks the ice and captures movement and expressions in a more natural way.

21.  Professional portraits with a single light

You can get a professional 'headshot' look in a home studio, using a single flash, a softbox and a plain backdrop. It doesn't need expensive gear, just a little practice with lighting and a little patience in setting up. 

22.  To get ahead, get a head!

It's not always easy to find someone to model for you as you practice your lighting techniques, so here's our top tip: Purchase a mannequin head! We agree that they're not great company, but they don't complain and they have the same shapes and features as human heads and are perfect for polishing up your portrait skills.

23. Use supplementary lighting at night

Night-time portraits can be very atmospheric and colorful, but often then need some subtle supplementary lighting to fill in the shadows and bring out your subject against a bright background. An off-camera flash is idea, or a portable LED panel may be better still, especially if you want to shoot video too.

Macro photography tips

24. Use focus stacking to get amazing depth of field

Try focus stacking to keep tiny subjects sharp from front to back. Some cameras can do focus stacking internally; otherwise you can merge 'focus stack' frames in photo editing software.

25. Use extension tubes for low cost-macro photography

Extension tubes go between the camera body and the lens to allow it to focus far closer than normal. You need to get extension tubes to fit your camera system, so check before you buy.

26. Try close-up filters for macros

Close-up filters are another low-cost route into macro photography. They are simple correction lenses that screw on to the front of your lens, and they usually come in threes, to be used individually or combined for an even stronger effect.

27. Make a DIY light tend for flower photography

You can easily create a portable DIY light tent for outdoor flower photography. It shields your subjects from wind and rain, evens up the lighting and saves you from disturbing plants where they are growing.

28.  Focus bracketing with your camera

Never heard of focus bracketing? It's allied to focus stacking, where you (or the camera) shoot a series of shots at slightly different focus points and combine them later for more depth of field than you could get with a single shot.

Animal photography tips

29. Try safari photos in a wildlife park

This is a good place to practice your wildlife photography skills before you take that once in a lifetime trip to the Serengeti. It starts with choosing the right lenses, but there's more to it than that.

30. How to get great pictures of dogs

Pets make perfect portrait subjects, and the rules are similar to those for human portraits, especially those of children – you need to get down to their level!

31. Try this to get great pictures in zoos

Zoos are full of exotic animals, but they are also full of mesh fences and smeary glass windowpanes. Here's one tip to get you started: get your lens right up against the fence or window and use a wide aperture to throw it way out of focus.

32. Capturing birds in flight takes practice!

Start by researching the best location, use the longest telephoto you can afford/carry, and learn your camera's autofocus modes before you start. Then you just need to practice, practice and practice your panning technique.

33. Make your own bean bag

Get stable shots with a simple DIY bean bag to support your camera. You can put it on the ground on a wall or on the roof of your car, and mold it to fit the shape of your camera.

34.  What is street photography?

Professional street photographers have different interpretations of 'street photography'. Don't assume your own style has to conform with what others have done. It's your own unique 'eye' that's important.

35.  Choose where you stand!

Decide where you stand – both literally, as in the best locations for your work – and ethically. What is it that you want to say about your subjects and their world, and are you representing them fairly?

36.  Expect to shoot a lot of rubbish!

This is the advice from the legendary Martin Parr : “The basic theory is the more rubbish you take, the better the chances of a good photo emerging, so keep on taking the rubbish.” 

37.  Engage with your subjects

Street photography needn't mean 'stolen' images and subterfuge, and many photographers may be uncomfortable with this. But you can also engage with your subjects, explain what you are doing and ask permission. You may learn something about their lives that you might never have imagined.

Tips using filters

38. Get an ND filter for long-exposure seascapes

Landscape photographers love graduated filters for taming bright skies, but a 10-stop ND (neutral density) filter could prove the landscape photographer's best friend by allowing super-long exposures for silky blur effects.

39. Use a polarizing filter to cut through reflections

You can use software recreate the effect of a polarising filter on a blue sky, but polarisers do much more than this. They also cut through reflections in glass to reveal what's behind windows, display cabinets and glazed pictures.

40. Use an infrared filter for surreal effects

The world looks very different when revealed using nothing but infra-red light, and you can get lens filters which cut out visible light and leave only this invisible longer-wavelength light.

41. Try colorful cross-polarization effects

For this colorful abstract technique, all you need is a polarising filter and a selection of transparent plastic objects. A low cost school set of rulers, protractors and set squares will work perfectly.

42. Learn to use an ND graduated filter

Sometimes the sky in a landscape is just so bright that you can't find an exposure that captures both the sky and the landscape itself. This is where you need a graduated filter, which is part of any landscape photographer's essential kit.

43.  A polarizing filter can help you get stunning skies

Polarizing filters have many effects, but one of them is to deepen blue skies – and the deeper the blue to start with, the stronger the effect. There is a knack to using them, though, and be aware that you can get uneven sky tone if you use them with wide-angle lenses.

44. Tricks and tactics for ND filters

ND filters let you use very long exposures in broad daylight, to product silky-smooth motion blur effects in water and skies, but they can be tricky to use because they are almost completely opaque! A mirrorless camera may be able to 'see' through them, but with a DSLR you will need to check the exposure and composition before attaching the filter – and then apply the necessary exposure correction for that filter.

Creative photography tips

45. Levitation photography: how to make objects float

You can make objects appear to hang in mid-air using a combination of clever shooting setups and quick and simple retouching techniques later. It sounds complicated, but it's really quite simple to do.

46. Get the Lensbaby look with 'freelansing'

Did you know you can take pictures with your lens detached from the body and angled manually to create Lensbaby-style tilt-shift effects? All you need to do is check your camera settings and make sure it will still shoot with no lens attached.

47. Pinhole photography is easy!

It's one of the oldest and simplest forms of photography, and doesn't even need a lens! Pinhole photography is easy – just make a tiny hole in your camera's body cap, set the camera to manual exposure, put it on a tripod and experiment with shutter speed.

48. Tips to get great POV photos

POV (point of view) photography was invented with action cams, but you can get some great angles and photo ideas by trying it out with a regular camera. All you need to do is get your hands or your face in the foreground and looking into the scene.

49. Try painting with light in night shot

Night shots can show the world in a whole new light (ahem), but very often the foreground is lost in dark shadow. All you need to do is take along an LED light or a flashlight, and 'paint' light over the objects or areas in a scene where it's needed.

50.  Get a new angle with a worm's eye view

This can be a great way of capturing unique perspectives on the world of nature, with close-ups captured right down at ground level and looking up, as if each plant is a giant tree reaching up into the sky. All you need is a macro les and camera with a tilting screen.

51.  Create light orbs with a flashlight

We've all seen those amazing light 'orbs' suspended in mid-air in pictures taken at night, and they look impossibly intricate to create – but they're not. You just need to swing a flashlight round in a circle by hand, or on the end of a string, and slowly move your body through 360 degrees. If you keep moving, the camera won't see you, only the light trail.

52.  How to create a classic ring heart shadow on a book

It's in every wedding photographer's portfolio, but how is it done? How do you get a heart shape from a circular ring? It's because of the v-shaped fold in the spine of an open book and how it distorts the circular shadow... and how you light it, too. Clever, eh?

53. Get the most from a fisheye lens

Get low and get close! You can really exaggerate the fisheye effect by getting really close to your main subject – often until you're almost touching – this makes your subject look huge against a tiny distant background.

54.  SHow to create sunbursts and starbursts

Use a wide-angle lens and a small aperture to create the 'star' effect from the sun, or any naked light source at night. Positioning is crucial, and moving just a couple of inches can make the sun peep out just enough from behind a tree or a building.

Camera hacks and DIY

55. DIY photography hack: stabilise ANY camera!

This cheeky hack really works! Screw a D-type screw from your tripod release plate into the base of your camera, hook one end of a short bungee cord into the loop, and the other end into your waistband. The tension in the bungee cord as you put the camera to your eye will stabilise your camera.

56.  Mobile lighting... with your mobile!

You can use your smartphone torch for light painting in darkness, and you can use your iPad 's screen as a makeshift softbox for lighting portraits or still lives. There's not much power, so you'll need a tripod or a high ISO, but the lighting effects can be beautiful.

57.  DIY softbox: how to build your own lighting modifier

You can make your own softbox, with a cardboard box, a pair of scissors and some foil. It won't look as slick as a professional softbox, but light is light, and your pictures will still look great. 

Astrophotography tips

58.  Star trail photography is easy!

You can capture beautiful star trails with nothing more elaborate than a wide-angle lens, a tripod and a clear night away from urban light pollution. If you want to get more elaborate, you can combine multiple exposures, or use higher ISOs and shorter exposures to capture star fields without streaking.

59. Northern Lights photography: do your research

The Northern Lights are truly spectacular, but using the right camera settings is only part of it – you also need to be in the right place at the right time, plus a good deal of luck to get the perfect conditions. There are no guarantees!

Motion photography tips

60. Panning secrets

To get smooth panning shots you need a combination of the correct shutter speed (use S mode and start with a shutter speed of 1/60sec or 1/125sec) and a smooth panning motion. The camera settings are relatively straightforward; a smooth panning technique takes practice.

61. Freeze water splashes with flash

The flash duration of a speedlight is so short that it can freeze even the fastest motion, like water droplets hitting a surface. The shutter speed is not that important, as long as it's at or below the camera's flash sync speed – if you shoot in darkness, it's the ultra-short flash that captures the image, not the length of time the shutter is open.

62. Shoot multiple flash exposures with a 'strobe' effect

Some more advanced flashguns can fire a series of flashes in quick succession for a 'strobe' effect. You can use this in darkness with a longer exposure to capture a 'multiple exposure' of a moving subject like a dancer.

63. Try photographing fireworks

Capturing fireworks is easy once you know how. Put the camera on a tripod, set it to B (bulb) mode and keep the shutter open while the fireworks are going off. You can do a few tests beforehand to work out the best exposure time for the ambient lighting and the surroundings.

Still life photography tips

64.  How to handle depth of field with close-ups

The closer your subject, the less depth of field there is. To make the most of it, set your camera to A (aperture priority) mode, set the lens aperture to f/11 or f/16, and with focus not on the front of your subject, but on a mid-point half way between the front and back.

Analog photography tips

65. Digitize slides and prints with your camera!

You CAN digitise your old photos using a flatbed or film scanner, but this can take time and, if you don't have one of these devices, you can use your camera! Your kit lens may focus close enough to capture prints, while for slides and negatives, consider investing in a macro lens and a lightbox to illuminate them from behind – or use your phone's screen.

66. Digitizing slides and negatives using a scanner

If you do use a scanner to digitise your old photos, a regular flatbed scanner or multi-function device will be fine for your prints, but you'll need a proper 'film scanner' to get the best from slides and negatives. These are more expensive and slower to use, but worth it for the best quality.

Camera and equipment tips

67. Cleaning a camera sensor: tips for removing sensor spots and dust

Sensor spots are an annoying fact of life with DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, so we recommend three-step approach. First, face the camera downwards and try a blower brush. If that doesn't work, try 'dry' cleaning with a specially designed sensor brush (not a regular brush!) or stick pad. If this doesn't work either, the third option is 'wet' cleaning with sensor swabs and sensor cleaning fluid.

68. Camera len cleaning tips

You'll often have specks of dust on your lenses, and a few won't matter, but if there's a lot, try a blower brush rather than a regular brush – when these come into contact with the lens surface can end up leaving smears behind. If you have smears on the lens, don't reach for the cleaning solution straight away – try 'huffing' on the lens and a gentle wipe with a microfiber cloth.

69. Go eye-to-eye with nature

Take the same approach for portraits of animals and plants as you do for portraits of people. That means getting ‘eye to eye’ with the subject with a relatively long lens and using a reasonably large aperture, such as f/4, to help separate them from busy background details. At close distances, only a small part of the subject will be sharp, so care needs to be taken with focusing. 

70. Find a frame to shoot through 

A framing device can help to funnel a viewer’s attention to the right place in a picture, add context and structure – and mask ‘dead’ areas, too. Frames can be actual frames, such as shooting through an open door or a window, or implied, such as the branches of a tree. They can also be diffuse – try positioning the camera close to flowers and shooting a subject beyond them to add a soft, colourful frame. 

71. Using flash in daylight 

If you find that you’re coming unstuck with your exposures when you’re trying to mix natural light and flash, switch off the flash and set the exposure for the daylight first. Use Manual mode so that the settings stay locked in on the camera, and base your exposure on the brightest part of the scene. Finally, switch on the flash and use this to brighten up the darker areas of the scene for a balanced result. 

72. Sharp shots without a tripod  

There are times when it isn’t wise to set up a tripod, such as on a bustling city street, and times when you need to stay mobile. Shutter speed becomes a prime concern in these situations; increasing the ISO, employing shake reduction, firing short bursts of shots, pulling the camera strap taut and bracing yourself against a wall or other available ‘furniture’ can all help. 

73. Shooting in a new location 

While it’s easy to explore Google Images to get a feel for the photographic potential of a location, if you’re visiting a spot for the first time, it’s worth pausing and getting a sense of place before trying to express it in an image. It might be tempting to attach your camera to your tripod, but there’s a lot to be said for exploring different viewpoints with a handheld camera to find the right angle and height to shoot from first. 

74. Include odd numbers 

Odd number of objects typically give more balanced compositions than even numbers, whether you’re shooting a group portrait, a sporting event or a landscape. So three is not a crowd... it will usually look better than a pair

75. Use the dioptre adjustment 

Many cameras enable the viewfinder sharpness to be improved using a feature called dipotre adjustment. Keep an eye on the readout in the viewfinder rather than looking at the image as you make any adjustments. 

76. Activate highlight warning 

You can set the playback display to flash a warning for highlights that are at risk of being exposed, which is a quick way to check exposure.  Read more: How to always get your exposure right

77. Remember to reset your camera 

If you’ve been making adjustments to your camera for a specific shot, such as dialling in exposure compensation, don’t forget to return the settings to normal when you finish shooting, ready for next time. 

78. Pre-focus for action 

If you’re able to predict where a moving subject is going to be, pre-focus the lens on that spot: this can speed up the time it takes for the autofocus system to lock onto the subject and give you a much better chance of grabbing the shot. 

79. Try Shutter Priority 

For sharp shots, you need a fast shutter speed. To guarantee this, use Shutter Priority, dialling in your preferred shutter speed, and switch to Auto ISO; the camera will adjust the aperture and sensitivity according to the light 

80. Try Aperture Priority 

Shooting in Aperture Priority mode enables you to control the depth of field as well as the exposure. Keep an eye on the camera’s shutter speed in the viewfinder, though, otherwise you might end up with shots ruined by camera shake.  

81. Check the AF mode 

Make sure that you use One Shot/Single Servo for stationary subjects and AI Servo/Continuous Servo to keep track of moving ones. 

82. Close-up depth of field 

The closer you are to a subject, the shallower the depth of field is. If this results in too much blur, try moving farther away and crop the shot to a tighter composition later.

83. Spot metering 

For more accurate exposures, switch to spot metering and aim the metering area at a part of the subject you want to be recorded as a mid-tone. Use your camera’s exposure lock function to lock this setting before recomposing the shot. 

84. Shoot sharp landscapes 

Small apertures such as f/16 and f/22 increase the depth of field, or the amount of front-to-back sharpness. Perfect for landscapes, you might think. The trade-off is that they lead to softer pictures due to the effects of diffraction (where the light rays are bent out of shape as they pass through the small hole). For sharper details, it may be worth sacrificing a little depth of field and using an aperture that’s a couple of stops down from the smallest setting.  

85. Working with a tripod 

A tripod enables you to close the aperture of your shot down if you require a greater depth of field, and also to reduce your ISO to the highest quality setting. It’s also essential when you want to shoot longer exposures in low light, but a combination of strong gusts and spongy ground can make things tricky. In these conditions, you may have to resort to setting up on a firm area and keeping the tripod low, shielding the legs from the wind with your body. Read more: 7 golden rules of tripod stability

86. Brush up on your reflector skills 

To prevent your portrait-sitter from squinting into the sun, position them so their back is towards the sun and use a reflector to bounce light onto their face, ‘feathering’ the reflected light rather than bouncing it directly into their eyes. It’s worth experimenting with different reflectors. A silver one adds a clean, crisp quality; a white one gives softer results that are often easier to blend in. Gold reflectors add warmth, but use them with care. 

87. Shoot more flattering portraits 

The low-contrast light afforded by cloudy but bright days is great for portraits as you won’t get ugly shadows under eyebrows and noses, or glare on people’s skin. Focal lengths of 85mm and longer are more flattering than shorter lengths. The angle you shoot at also counts: shooting from slightly below eye level implies confidence and power, while shooting from slightly above is slimming and intimate.  Read more: The best portrait lenses

88. Get set up for candids 

Things happen quickly when you’re shooting candids, so you need to have your camera ready to go. Avoid using a brightly coloured camera strap, and wrap it around your wrist rather than over your shoulder. Hold the camera at chest or head height, where it’s quicker to get it up to your eye. Not only does enable you to react faster, it’s less likely to attract your subject’s attention. 

89. Expose to the right 

To get the best-quality results, shoot in your camera’s raw file format and try to use an exposure that produces a histogram that just reaches the right-hand edge of the graph; avoid pushing the histogram over the edge, though. You can then bring the exposure to your preferred level when you process the image in raw software back at home.  

90. Use the histogram

When you check the histogram on your camera display, its shape represents the dynamic range of the scene you’re photographing, while the width of the graph represents the dynamic range of the camera. If there are gaps to the far left or right of the histogram, these indicate over- or under-exposure, so some exposure adjustments may be required.  Read more: How to read a histogram

91. Raw histogram

The preview and histogram that can be viewed on the camera are based on a JPEG version of the image, even if you took the shot using your camera’s raw format. The raw file holds a wider dynamic range than a JPEG, so to get a more representative histogram, set the Picture Style/Picture Control to a low-contrast, neutral setting. 

92. Seeing in black and white 

If you’d like total control over how your image is converted to black and white, it’s better to shoot in colour then make it mono in software. We’d recommend shooting in your camera’s raw format, as it gives you so much scope for playing around with the image later, although you can set your camera to its Monochrome picture style to get a black-and-white preview on the rear screen. 

93. Getting close to wildlife 

Using a long lens means that you don’t need to get as physically close to a wild animal as you would otherwise, but understanding the subject and fieldcraft are more important than camera equipment. Wear rustle-free clothing that breaks up your shape; make sure your outline doesn’t break the skyline; and approach mammals with the wind in your face so your scent isn’t carried towards them. 

94. Long exposures

Yes, long-exposure seascapes have been done to death – but, done well, a bit of blur in the water and sky can still go a long way to lifting a coastal composition. Getting a shutter speed slow enough to achieve the effect in bright light requires a strong ND filter. If you’re using a square filter system, check that the filter is in the slot nearest the lens, and ensure the viewfinder is shielded. Use mirror lock-up or Live View to prevent vibrations and fire the shutter with a remote release. 

95. Use a preset white balance 

Your camera’s auto white balance setting will attempt to neutralise strong colour casts, but setting a preset that matches the light source can give better results. You can also use an ‘incorrect’ white balance creatively: try the Shade setting to add warmth to a sunset, for example, or Tungsten/Incandescent to cool down a daylight scene.  Read more: Cheat sheet – White balance presets

96. Keep the horizon level

Use your camera’s electronic level, a hotshoe spirit level or the grid display to make sure the horizon is level in your shot. If you don’t have time to use these options, a quick and dirty option is to use the edges of the AF points in the viewfinder. 

97. Shoot into the light

Shooting into the light can produce dramatic results, although you need to be conscious of lens flare. If you have square filters in place you’ll have to ditch the lens hood, so be prepared to shield the front of the lens with a hand or hat held out of the frame 

98. Shoot in the blue hour

Twilight, or ‘the blue hour’ as it’s sometimes referred to, is a great time of the day to shoot cityscapes and floodlit architecture, as the sky will have some colour instead of being an empty black void. Not only does this look more interesting, it also makes for more balanced exposures. 

99. Pan with action

Moving the camera at the same speed as a moving object means the subject will remain in the same position in the frame and will be recorded sharply. Experiment with the shutter speed: the slower the shutter speed, the more the background will blur, conveying greater speed. 

100. Double-check the background

Details in the background can take viewers’ attention from the main subject. They don’t have to be obvious colourful road signs: even the out-of-focus line of the horizon will be a distraction if it runs directly behind a person’s head. For clean shots, look for clear backgrounds that are well separated from the subject. Darker backdrops tend to work better than bright ones, but be mindful of patches of bright sky through trees. 

101. Develop an eye for abstracts

The middle of the day, during the non-magic hours like the golden hour and the blue hour, is often a great time to go looking for abstracts to shoot. With an abundance of light, you’re less likely to need a tripod, and the hard light can be used to accentuate shadow, form, texture and tone. Alternatively, head out on overcast days, when the sky acts like a giant softbox, making it easy to pick out fine details.

102. Choose good shoes

Don’t underestimate the importance of comfy shoes. Whether you’re pounding the cobbles in pursuit of street photography or chasing the light in the hills, you’ll be more inclined to walk farther and shoot for longer if your feet aren’t sore. Waterproof boots or Wellingtons are a must for shooting at the coast or when you’re photographing a waterfall, where the best views typically involve getting your feet wet.

103. Avoid camera shake

The rule of thumb when it comes to beating camera shake is to make sure the shutter speed is equivalent to or faster than the effective focal length of the lens – so at least 1/100 sec for a 100mm lens on a full-frame camera. If you’re shooting on a camera with a smaller sensor, multiply the focal length and shutter speed by the crop factor: 1.5 for APS-C sensors (1.6 for Canon APS-C models) and 2 for Micro Four Thirds.

104. Be prepared to get down and dirty

Don’t photograph everything from your eye level: finding a higher vantage point or getting down low can help your pictures stand out. Shooting from a low angle makes subjects look more imposing and allows you to draw viewers into a picture: look for leading lines to pull the eye from the foreground to the subject. A camera that has a fold-out LCD screen or Wi-Fi compatibility for seeing the Live View feed on a smartphone can help with framing.

105. Focus for close-ups

You need to be very careful to make sure your focus point is absolutely spot-on when you’re at close proximity to a subject, as the depth of field is minimal. It can often be better to put the camera on a tripod, switch to manual focus and magnify the Live View display so that you can position the focus precisely.

106. Travel light

For urban photography, you want the minimum amount of kit. A fully loaded camera bag feels heavier as the day goes on, so stick with just one or two lenses. Bag type is down to preference: backpacks spread the load, but a shoulder bag gives you faster access. Read more: The 10 best travel cameras

107. Dealing with high contrast

If a scene includes an expanse of light sky and a dark foreground, fit a graduated neutral-density filter to the lens to help balance the exposure. Alternatively, take two shots, one with the sky exposed correctly and the other with the land exposed correctly, and blend the exposures in software.

108. Background exposure

If the background of a shot is much darker than the subject, the result may be overexposed, so try setting exposure compensation to -1 or -2. To prevent a much brighter background causing the camera to underexpose, try exposure compensation of +1 or +2.

109. Use Manual exposure

If the light is consistent and you have time to set the shutter speed and aperture, use your camera’s Manual exposure mode. This locks the exposure setting in, so it makes a good choice for keeping a subject correctly exposed even when the background changes.

110. Lens corrections

If you’re planning on working up your shots in your preferred raw conversion or photo editing software, like Camera Raw or Lightroom, it pays to frame views a little wider than perhaps feels natural when you’re shooting. The reason for this is that if you correct lens distortions in software, you can end up losing detail at the edge of the picture.

111. Street smarts

Approaching strangers and asking to take their portraits can be a challenge, but a little chutzpah really pays off. Even if it sounds like your idea of hell, making it obvious that you’re taking pictures can elicit interesting reactions. In fact, skulking in the shadows and sniping with a long lens is a sure-fire way to attract the wrong kind of attention.

112. Avoid sensor dust

Although it’s easy enough to digitally remove dust spots on images, you can reduce the chances of dust being deposited on the camera sensor by avoiding changing lenses in exposed and windy locations. If you’re working in these conditions, consider fitting a zoom lens so that you don’t have to change lenses so often.

113. Set the AF point

If you let the camera choose the autofocus point automatically, it will often focus on the nearest object. Instead, set your camera to its singlepoint AF mode and move the active point so that it’s positioned over the subject that you want to be sharp

114. Use Auto ISO in Manual mode

Your camera’s Auto ISO function can be a life-saver, as you can freely adjust your exposure settings and the camera will automatically raise the ISO sensitivity at a preset shutter speed, so you don’t need to worry about camera shake. It can also be used in Manual exposure mode, allowing you to set your preferred combination of aperture and shutter speed, with the Auto ISO function ensuring you get a consistent exposure in changing light.

115. Shooting in the rain

Don’t be just a fair-weather photographer: rain’s where it’s at! The most challenging aspect of shooting in driving rain isn’t keeping yourself dry, it’s keeping raindrops off the front of the lens. The shallow hoods made for wideangle lenses are pretty useless in this regard. Our advice? Fit a UV filter and soak up any water just before you fire the shutter. It never hurts to pack more microfibre cloths than you think you’ll need, too.

116. Shooting in bright sunshine

Although the best light for shooting on a scorching summer day is typically at the start and end of the day – the so-called ’golden hours’ – a clear sky does have its advantages. There’ll be plenty of light, enabling the use of low ISOs and fast shutter speeds for sharp shots. Use a polarising filter to reduce glare and reflections in landscapes, and a reflector or burst of flash to open up the shadows in a portrait.

117. Take an extra battery

Cold weather saps battery life, so to keep your camera working when the temperature drops, keep a spare charged battery warm in an inner jacket pocket. If you start to run out of power, consider not using power-hungry functions such as image stabilisation and Live View.

118. Take pictures you love

Doug Chinnery, Abstract Photographer, says: "The ‘Photography Police’ can only exist if we allow them to. No-one should tell you what your images should look like. "Make pictures that, first and foremost, you love. Then, if others love them too, so be it. But if they don’t, be proud that you are following your own creative path and not being forced to follow the herd. This takes creative courage and conviction, but leads to producing stronger, more fulfilling work."

119. Sharpness is over-rated

"Let a little blur into your life", says Doug Chinnery, Abstract Photographer. "Bring in a bit of wobble. Shallow depth of field and intentional camera movement can be used creatively, allowing your audience to make up their own stories about what’s happening in your images."

120. Print your own work

"Would you give your camera to someone else to make your photos? So why let someone else make your prints? The print is the culmination of the creative process, and nothing beats making a finely crafted print. No commercial printer cares about your images like you do. Don’t kid yourself that the prints they make are as good as they could be." – Doug Chinnery, Abstract Photographer

121. Develop your vision

Abstract photographer Doug Chinnery says: ”Copying the photographs of others is a great way to learn techniques as a beginner. But to really grow as a photographer, we need to look at the world through our own eyes and use the skills we have learned to make images that show our unique creative vision."

122. Ditch the tripod

Landscape photographer Andrew Fusek Peters says: “Go guerrilla with your landscape photography! Ditch the tripod and endless filters, and shoot hand-held, exposing for the sky at dusk or dawn. It’s much quicker to frame hand-held, and you can recover shadows and blacks in post.”

123. Straighten it out

Fine-art photographer Lorna Yabsley, author of the Busy Girl’s Guide To Digital Photography and teacher of one-to-one photography training, says "Pay attention to keeping horizons level in your frame – it can make or break a shot."

124. Process with care

Fine-art photographer Lorna Yabsley says: "Always spend a little bit of time to process your favourite images. Less is more: lifting the shadows, lightening and brightening and subtle sharpening can bring out the best in your shot."

125. Invest in a prime lens

"A prime 50mm lens is an indispensable, inexpensive piece of kit to have, giving beautiful crisp images and the ability to open up the lens really wide for maximum shallow depth of field" – Fine-art photographer Lorna Yabsley 

126. Reinvent the wheel

"If you’re buying an SLR camera, it’s always worth having a dedicated command wheel to control your shutter and your aperture independently, making manual exposure easier" – Fine-art photographer Lorna Yabsley.  

127. Get trained

Fine-art photographer Lorna Yabsley says "Invest in some good-quality one-to-one training, to fast-track your way to getting off auto and shooting manually. This will put you in control of your image-making. And learn basic processing techniques to give your work professional polish."

128. Trial and error

Creative photographer Mark A Hunter says: “Don’t get hung up on nailing a shot first time. For example, rather than determining exactly what depth of field to use, put your camera into Aperture Priority mode and grab a few different shots at a range of apertures – you might surprise yourself with the results.”

129. Give yourself assignments

Fine-art photographer James Stanford says: "Sometimes knowing what to shoot is a big relief. Other times, being extemporaneous is the way to go. I love to go out and see what the universe is presenting to me on any given day. Learning to be sensitive to what is out there with no preconceived idea is a wonderful way to discover new subject matter. But only looking for the shot that presents itself in the moment seldom creates new technical skills. In order to master the camera, I give myself special assignments. Giving yourself an assignment helps you to learn about photography and your equipment. By knowing what you want to achieve, you can plan things out. This way you can slow things down. Shoot and confirm. Take notes. Concentrate on getting the shot just right! You will learn to master Aperture Priority, shutter speed, ISO, manual settings, and more."

130. Research your subject

Nature photographer Roeselien Raimond says: "No matter whether it’s an animal you are trying to photograph or some kind of phenomenon, the more you know about your subject, the better you will be able to anticipate what’s to come. Learn to know when animals breed, hunt and sleep. Find out when mist or thunder is likely to occur. It might cost some time, but it’s an investment that will pay off."

131. Explore!

Travel and urban photographer Nico Goodden says: "If you want to succeed as a photographer while always learning and never being bored, do not fear exploring other genres. Instead, be wary of people who tell you to stick to a single genre or niche – it may not be the very best advice if you look at life as an opportunity to discover new things. I have found that instead of hindering my development, shooting a multitude of genres has taught me many transferable skills and brought exciting new clients and commissions through the variety of what I shoot, eventually snowballing into even more unexpected commissions."

132. Choose your moments

Architectural and travel photographer Denys Nevozhai says: "The main thing I’ve learned about photography is to not be obsessed with photography, and shoot only the most worthwhile moments or scenes. The realisation that you need to verify and edit too many photos will make you postpone the process, lose excitement and eventually pile all the set."

133. Think about light

Reportage and travel photographer Stuart Freedman says: "Light is key to photography. Learn to visualise the final image and move if it looks like it’s not going to work."

134. Relax and talk to people

Reportage and travel photographer Stuart Freedman says: "Great pictures aren’t usually luck. Often they’re the result of a negotiation between the photographer and subject. A smile goes a long way. Relax and, crucially, be honest. Explain what you’re doing: if people trust you, it’ll show."

135. Dreamy portraits

Fine-art photographer Lorna Yabsley says: "For dreamy portraits, open up your lens to the widest aperture, and shoot your subject into the light. Use exposure compensation to push your exposure and to expose for shadows."

136. Use a tripod

Natural history and wildlife photographer Adrian Davies says: "I always try to use a good solid tripod for my natural history work, particularly when I’m shooting subjects such as plants. Not only do they hold the camera nice and still, enabling slow shutter speeds, but they also slow you down, making you look carefully at all parts of the frame for distracting items, and deciding on the correct aperture before releasing the shutter." Read more: The best tripods for travel

137. Buy some smoked salmon!

Adrian Davies says: "I use a wide range of reflectors for bouncing light into shadow areas of subjects such as plants and fungi. One I use a lot with fungi in particular on dull autumn days are the pieces of card that come in smoked salmon packs, gold on one side. They give the subject a nice warm tone."

138. Visual missionary

Art photographer Paul Hill says: "The power of the medium to inform and reveal, whether publicly or privately, cannot be overestimated. Most of us see hundreds of photographs every day, but do we even look at one to find out what it ‘says’? Photography is an essential part of modern life, with millions made every day, and thousands of manufacturers and service industries dependent on it. The effect on our civilisation is enormous. Practitioners should feel uncomfortable regurgitating clichés. They should be visual missionaries, converting the public to the importance of the medium with the power of their images. Photography can be fun, of course, but its makers have to take it seriously. As well as being attracted to the unusual and unexpected, I am mindful of three things when making a photograph: frame, light and vantage point."

139. Part of a team

Wedding and commercial photographer Kate Hopewell-Smith says: "Learning to direct and pose are key skills for any people photographer, but successful portraiture is down to teamwork. The photographer needs to give energy and enthusiasm – but so does the subject, or the results will not be as successful as they should be."

140. Speak out

Art photographer Cig Harvey says: "Bear in mind that your camera is a tool to help your creativity. I love the idea that our cameras are just expensive pencils – it is what we have to say that is important."

141. Be open

Street photographer Ryan Hardman says: "Don’t hide your camera when taking street images, because this often puts people on edge. Just have the camera around your neck and when you see someone exciting, bring the camera up to your eye and snap away. If the subject stops you and asks why you are taking images of them, just politely explain why you have done so and the intentions of your image – for yourself, competitions or magazines."

142. Shoot with a theme in mind

Ryan Hardman says: "Often street photography can be lacking a theme, making the image the photographer has taken become weak or uninteresting. My best advice would be to think about a theme and reason for the capture of street photography other than because the subject was interesting. This will in turn help when you’re confronted by a person who is outraged you have photographed them. Trust your gut – if the subject feels on edge and aggressive, don’t photograph them."

143. Be street-savvy and sensitive

Ryan Hardman says: "Street photography is not about proving we are in a better place than the subjects. My greatest advice would be to stay away from the homeless or disadvantaged, to make sure as photographers that we are not taking advantage or photographing subjects unethically."

144. Break the fourth wall

Street photographer Ryan Hardman says: “I used to ask for an image of the subject first, but now I take my images without asking – the reason for this is to create exciting subjects that break the fourth wall and look into the lens of the camera, which means the viewer will connect with the image.”

145. Have 'fill' light available

Wedding and commercial photographer Kate Hopewell-Smith says: “Location portraits come into their own when there is some beautiful back light to give separation and mood. However, this does leave your subject’s face in shade, so use a reflector or an on-camera flash (probably in high-speed sync mode due to fast shutter speeds outside)."

146. Aim for a response

Travel photographer Lottie Davies says: “When processing your files, think about the emotional response of your audience. Do you want people to feel positive about the subject of the image? If so you might tend towards warm, rich tones. If you’d like a sense of calm contemplation, consider a less punchy interpretation."

147. Follow your heart

Nature photographer Roeselien Raimond says: "I firmly believe that your photos reflect what you put into them. So if you choose a subject that you love and that truly fascinates you, this will show. Working from the heart will certainly improve your work."

148. Have a tale to tell

Documentary photographer Marc Wilson says: "The most important aspect of any photograph is the story behind it and whether it will be of interest to the viewer."

149. Don't spread yourself thin

Commercial photographer Maria Falconer says: "When I first started out, I believed that I needed to photograph everything. I dabbled with practically every style and subject available, except maybe wildlife… unless you count pigeons! And yes, of course I learned a few skills along the way, but I quickly discovered that my best images were made when I was shooting something that was important to me – and that could be anything from dance to political issues."

150. Five words

Documentary photographer Marc Wilson says: "Shoot less and shoot better".

151. Go on a photo adventure

Quintin Lake says: "The spirit of adventure is about seeing with fresh eyes rather than venturing to distant lands. Travelling by foot for a prolonged period is the best way of seeing a place anew as the odds are stacked in your favour of encountering an unusual or beautiful event. Remember that photography is but one of many forms of human visual expression. Looking at the other visual arts can give you new ideas for subjects, colour usage, tonality and composition that you can use in your own work. "

152. What and when

"A truly successful photograph can be broken down into two simple components: what is in the frame and when do you press the button? Everything else you control will help shape the success or otherwise of the photograph: the light, the composition, movement, stillness, empty space, colour, focus and depth of field" -  Documentary photographer Marc Wilson. 

153. Keep calm and create

Commercial photographer Maria Falconer says: "Don’t look too hard. Relax and let the photographs come to you."

154. Shoot less, see more

Landscape and fine art photographer Paul Sanders says: "I would rather come home with one shot I have worked hard to perfect in the field than a memory card filled with mediocre images. Far too often we’re challenged by our insecurities to shoot more and more, when actually it’s better to take your time, refine the image in the viewfinder, carefully compose, and check everything before pressing the shutter button. It’s also a cop-out to say, 'I’ll fix it in post.' Get it right on-site and in the camera before you leave the location. You should choose the moment you press the button after really seeing into the subject. So once you commit to an image, don’t keep shooting unless the lighting dramatically improves. When you are happy, walk away and don’t look back!"

155. Behind the photo

Documentary photographer Marc Wilson says: "Technique is important, but the power behind a photograph is the story it tells."

156. The art of light

Maria Falconer says: "Photography itself is a simple matter of using light to make marks. There are no actual rules – just ones that men have made up."

157. Use your screen

Landscape & wildlife photographer Francis J Taylor says: "Learn to use the histogram on your camera’s rear screen. When this is used in conjunction with the very useful highlight alert feature, you can ensure you quickly nail the perfect exposure every time."

158. Shoot what you love

Travel photographer Lottie Davies says: “Photograph the things you love. For instance, if you love food, shoot food – if you love adventures, shoot travel or cars, if your favourite place is at home with your family, photograph them. The energy of your enthusiasm will show through and make your images sing."

159. Accept the rain

Francis J Taylor says: "Don’t be a fair-weather photographer. Often the most interesting images are created in challenging and adverse conditions."

160. Smile and be selfish

Paul Sanders says: "We are guilty of taking our photography far too seriously, whether we are trying to impress our friends, fellow club members or that tricky judge. Photography is a hobby for many people, and even for professionals it’s a privilege to do a job that many would pay to do; so smile, enjoy your time with the camera and, yes, be selfish – this is time invested in you, so shoot what you like and not what you think will win things. It really doesn’t matter what other people think of the images you take, but if you truly enjoy what you take pictures of and the time you spend doing it, you may be surprised at the results, and possibly the prizes too."

161. Read this book!

Digital Camera Magazine editor Ben Brain says: "Read 'On Being a Photographer: A Practical Guide' by Bill Jay and Magnum legend David Hurn. It’s a delight!"

162. Plan ahead

Francis J Taylor says: "Research your location to find the best time to visit. Remember that the position of the sun changes throughout the year so a location that doesn’t work in summer may be perfect in winter."

163. Get inspired by the arts

Ben Brain says: "Don’t limit yourself only to photographers for inspiration. Turn to painters, poets, musicians, authors et al..."

164. Use one prime lens

Ben Brain says: "Try using only one focal length (say 35mm or 50mm) for one year: I guarantee it’ll make you a better photographer."

165. Hide selection lines

If the dotted line of a selection is making it difficult to see an adjustment you’re making, press H to hide the ‘marching ants’ then make the adjustment without any distractions. Pressing H again will reveal the selection.

166. Stretch out a sky

If you want more blue sky above your subject, go to Image > Canvas Size. Put 20 % in Height, tick the Relative box, and click the middle-bottom Anchor box. Click OK, then make a thin selection along the top edge of the existing sky using the Rectangular Marquee tool. Press Ctrl/Cmd+T to go into Transform mode. Pull the top-middle handle upwards to create headroom.

167. Lose your palettes

To see a pic without distractions, press Tab and you’ll hide all the palettes and tools. To restore them, press Tab again. To lose everything except the Toolbox, press Shift+Tab.

168. Lose your unwanted layers

Getting rid of layers you don’t need is slow going if you drag them to the trash icon in the Layers panel. To quickly delete one layer, right-click on it and select Delete Layer. If you want to delete multiple layers, hold down Ctrl/Cmd and click on their names to select them, then right-click on one and select Delete Layers.

169. Go full screen

To see your image as large as possible on-screen, press Ctrl/ Cmd+0 (zero). Repeatedly press F to see the pic in different view modes. 

170. Add a white border

To apply a swift white border, first open your pic then press D to reset the colours to black and white. Now press Ctrl/Cmd+A to select the image, and Ctrl/Cmd+T to enter Transform mode. Hold Alt +Shift and drag in a corner handle to make a white surround in proportion. Press Return, and you’ll have a clean white border with very little fuss.

171. See a single layer

With a multi-layered image, there are times when you want to see what’s on a particular layer. Alt-click on the eye icon of the layer in the Layers panel. This will turn off all the other layers.

172. Add a bleach bypass in seconds

To boost contrast and give a stylised look to a pic, press Ctrl/Cmd+J to duplicate the image onto a new Layer, and then press Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+U to get rid of the colour. You’ll see a mono image, but change the Blend mode to Soft Light in the Layers panel, and the black-and-white layer will be blended with the colour to boost contrast and tone down the saturation, giving an attractive bleached look.

173. Speed up filter use

To repeat a filter and boost its effect, press Ctrl/Cmd+F to reapply the last filter you used. This is a fast way of making blur filters more blurry.

174. Save for the web with precision

When you’re saving JPEGs of pictures for web use, make sure you use the dedicated File > Export > Save for Web feature. Set the Preset to JPEG High, and use the options to resize, adjust and compare different quality settings – and even preview it on a web page. You’ll find it’s a much smarter way than using File > Save As, choosing JPEG, and guessing the rest!

175. Change your mind on filter settings

If you’ve gone too far with a filter effect and want to dial back the settings, press Ctrl/Cmd+Z to undo the filter. You’ll see the image return to its pre-filtered state. If you now press Ctrl/Cmd+Alt+F, you’ll bring up the Filter dialog box without having to reselect it. Change the settings and click OK.

176. Use Dehaze for contrast

Found in the FX panel of Lightroom or Camera Raw, the Dehaze slider is designed to reduce atmospheric haze in scenic shots, but it can also be used as a powerful contrast control. To quickly apply a contrast boost, slide it to the right; and to reduce contrast, take it to the left.

177. Pick the right colour

When you need a pure colour in the Color Picker, it’s impossible to directly click right in the corner to get pure white, pure black or the colour you have. To get your cursor right to the edge, click anywhere on the Picker and drag the cursor to the corner you want. This will get you the pure colour you’re after.

178. Get moving

You can move a layer or a selection in any direction by selecting the Move tool (shortcut V) and dragging the mouse. But if you want to be really precise, you can tap the cursor keys on the keyboard to move the item in 1-pixel amounts. If you hold down the Shift key while tapping the cursor keys, you’ll move the item in 10-pixel increments.

179. Be consistent in cropping

When you need a set of pictures all the same size, make life easy by creating a crop preset. Select the Crop tool and in the Options bar, key in the width, height and resolution you want (eg, 21 cm, 29.7 cm, 300 px/in). Now click the first drop-down menu and select New Crop Preset. In the dialog box, change the name if required, and click OK to save your custom size. Use this whenever you need it! 

180. Before and after views: the easy way

When you convert a raw file, it’s handy to see a ‘before’ and ‘after’ version of your changes to keep track of how your picture is progressing. Clicking repeatedly on the Y icon at the bottom of the interface in Lightroom or Camera Raw will cycle through the different modes. To exit, click on the full-screen icon alongside.

181. Recompose with Transform

The Crop tool isn’t always the best way to reframe an image. Instead press Ctrl/Cmd+A to select the image, then Ctrl/ Cmd+T to enter Transform mode. Now hold down Ctrl/ Cmd and pull out the corner handles of the bounding box to reshape your image to the frame. When you’re done, press Return to confirm. With this method, you can improve composition while you crop.

182. Set your black point

When converting raw files in Lightroom or Camera Raw, Set your black point by Alt-dragging the Blacks slider to the left. You’ll see a mask view where true black occurs: this provides a great way to set the darkest parts of an image. You can do the same with Alt and the Whites slider to set a white point.

183. Correct your lens

Before doing anything else to a raw file in Lightroom or Camera Raw, go to Lens Corrections and tick the Remove Chromatic Aberrations and Enable Profile Corrections boxes. This will automatically detect the lens used and compensate for any colour fringing or distortion that’s present.

184. Go back in time with Undo

To undo the last thing you did, press Ctrl/Cmd+Z. If you want to step back further, press Ctrl/Cmd+Alt+Z. At the default settings, you can go back up to 20 states, but if you want more, you can increase the number of History States in Edit > Preferences. (Select Photoshop > Preferences if you’re using macOS).

185. Make a calculation

To get a great mono conversion, open your image and go to Image > Calculations. In the dialog box, the Source and Layer boxes will be identical, but by varying Channel, Blending mode and Opacity, you’ll get different black-and-white results. For high-impact scenes shot with bags of contrast, try Red, Red, Multiply. Make sure the Result box is set to New Document, and when you click OK you’ll  get a great-looking mono pic.

186. Make a Background layer editable

If you want to move a Background layer higher in your Layers stack, you need to convert it into an editable layer first. To do this quickly, hold Alt and double-click on the layer’s name. It will be instantly turned into an editable layer. 

187. Clone like a pro!

If you need to clean up an image with some cloning, create a new layer in the Layers panel. With the Clone Stamp or Healing Brush tool selected, make sure that Sample: All Layers is selected in the Options bar. Now clone or heal away, and all the cloning work will be placed on the new layer, leaving your original untouched if you change your mind later. 

188. Apply a slick keyline border

To add a crisp, thin, black border to an image, press D to reset your colours to black and white, then press Ctrl/ Cmd+A to select it all. Now go to Edit > Stroke, and in the dialog box, set Width to 10 px and choose Inside under Location. Click OK.

189. Streamline your layers

If you’ve used a lot of layers, you may find yourself scrolling up and down to find the appropriate one. To get more of them on-screen and avoid wasting time scrolling, click on the flyout menu at the top right, select Panel Options and reduce Thumbnail Size to the smallest option. In cases where you have a lot of layers, you can also pick None to show no thumbnails in the panel at all. Click this and you’ll return to your starting point without having to exit the palette and reopen it.

190. Fill with colour the quick way

To flood-fill a layer or selection with your foreground colour, press Alt+Backspace. Use Ctrl/Cmd +Backspace to fill with the background colour.

191. Check your colours will print

Not all colours captured by a camera can be printed, as a mix of CMYK inks can’t reproduce the RGB light that created the image. To get a good idea of what will or won’t print, press Ctrl/Cmd+Y to view the image in a CMYK preview. You can work on the image in this mode too, so you’re always aware of the colours that are out of range.

192. Sharpen in style

To sharpen a pic in Lightroom or Camera Raw, go to the Detail panel and set the Amount that gives a crisp result on a detailed, in-focus area on the preview. (Radius and Detail are often fine on their defaults of 1.0 and 25.) Now hold Alt and increase Masking until only the edges show in white. This prevents you sharpening areas that don’t need it.

193. Switch Lasso tools on the fly

When making a selection with the Polygonal Lasso tool, you can quickly switch to the Freehand Lasso by holding the Alt key. Draw around your area, and when you release Alt, you’ll be returned to the Polygonal Lasso.

194. Make new layers without fuss

To create a new layer above the one that’s currently active, press Ctrl/ Cmd+Shift+N and you can give it a name in the dialog box before clicking OK. To do it even quicker without a custom name, press Ctrl/ Cmd+Alt+Shift+N.

195. Build up grads gradually

After applying a Graduated Filter to darken a sky in Lightroom or Camera Raw, use gentle settings at first, then right-click on the Pin and select Duplicate. This gives you a second grad and a stronger effect, which you can drag into position and edit further, This is faster than creating new grads from scratch.

196. Warm up a shot the fast way

To add a swift warm-up effect on a landscape, press Ctrl/Cmd+L to open the Levels palette, and click RGB. Select the Red Channel from the list, and move the middle slider a little to the left. Now select the Blue channel and move it a little to the right. This creates an amber colour cast to the whole image, giving an instant warm-up effect.

197. Balance your colours

Colour temperature isn’t fixed in a raw file, and both Lightroom and Camera Raw make it easy to warm up or cool down your shots. The best starting point is to pick the appropriate preset (such as Daylight or Cloudy) from the drop-down menu next to White Balance in the Basic panel. Then, you can fine-tune the results to your liking using the Temperature slider. 

198. Change your mind on filter settings

199. darker edges.

To quickly create a vignette around an multi-layered image, click on the top layer in the stack and press Ctrl/Cmd+Alt+Shift+E. This will collapse everything visible into a new layer. Now go to Filter > Camera Raw Filter, and select the FX tab. Under Post Crop Vignetting, move Amount to the left for a dark vignette, or right for a bright one, and adjust the look with Feather Roundness.

200. Stay in control of contrast

Curves is an amazing tool that offers the connoisseur’s route to contrast control. With it, you can create an S-curve that darkens lower midtones and brightens upper midtones at the same time. Make a Curves Adjustment Layer, then pull the line down at the bottom and push it up at the top.

201. Zoom smarter

To zoom and out in a smarter way, assign the zoom function to the scroll wheel of your mouse. Go to Edit > Preferences > Tools and tick the Zoom With Scroll Wheel box to enable it.

202. Control your adjustment layers

If you add an Adjustment Layer, it will affect all the layers beneath it in the Layers stack. To make it only affect the layer immediately beneath it, hold Alt and click on the line between the Adjustment Layer and the layer beneath. This ‘clips’ the layer and restricts its effect.

203. Get help with composition

Call up a little assistance in framing by choosing the right Crop Overlay. Click on the dropdown menu in the Crop tool’s option bar, and you can choose from six different options to get you composing like a pro.

204. Spot-on selections

When you’re making a selection with a Marquee tool, it can be tricky to be precise with your starting point. Start to drag out the selection then immediately hold the spacebar without releasing the mouse. You can now move the starting point  around to get it exactly right before continuing.

205. Sample a colour – fast!

When you’re painting with the Brush tool and want to switch to a different colour within the image, hold down Alt, click anywhere on the image and the colour will be imported into the foreground colour swatch.

206. Check your masks

When masking, it’s easy to miss out areas when you’re absorbed in the imaging process. To check your mask is well-made and complete, hold Alt and click on the mask thumbnail in the Layers panel. This will show the mask alone, and allow you to paint in any gaps. To revert, just Alt-click on it again.

207. Reset if you fluff it!

If things go wrong when you’re adjusting the settings in a palette and you mess up the image, the obvious bail-out is the Cancel button. This will exit the palette and restore your original pic. Instead of doing this, hold Alt and the Cancel will become a Reset button. Click this and you’ll return to your starting point without having to exit the palette and reopen it.

208. Boost or cut specific colours

Within the HSL panel in Lightroom and Camera Raw, you can radically enhance the colours in a scene by adjusting any of eight individual hues. To ramp up the blue in a sky, click on the Saturation tab and increase Blues, then click on Lightness and decrease Blues. To adjust the colour of the sky, use the same slider under the Hue tab.

209. Benefit from adjustment layers

Because they change data rather than alter pixels, Adjustment Layers are more flexible than pixel-based layers. Instead of copying a layer and making changes to it, click the Adjustment Layer icon and select the type you want from the list. You’ll get the same palette, but the changes you make are not permanent. To change the settings later, double-click the Adjustment Layer’s thumbnail.

210. Add mono toning treatments

To apply a single colour tint such as sepia or blue toning to a shot, click on the Adjustment Layer icon in the Layers panel and select Hue/Saturation from the list. In the dialog box, tick the Colorize box, then adjust the Hue and Saturation sliders to get the colour and intensity you want.

211. Copy and move layers quickly

If you’ve placed a cutout on a separate layer and want to use it elsewhere in an image, select the Move tool by pressing V, then hold Alt and drag the mouse. This copies the selection to a new layer and positions it wherever you drag it.

212. Invert your masking errors

When you use layer masks, it’s easy to hide or reveal the wrong part of the image by getting black where you should have white. If this happens, simply click on the mask to make it active, and press Ctrl+I to invert the colours. This is much quicker than making the mask correctly from scratch.

213. Flatten the smart way

To crunch all your visible layers into a single layer, click on the top layer in the stack then press Ctrl/ Cmd+Alt+Shift+E. This merges the image into a new layer. 

214. See sensor dirt

Smudges of sensor dirt are easy to miss, but if you select the Spot Removal tool in Lightroom or Camera Raw, there’s a great way to see them much more clearly. Tick the Visualize Spots box and adjust the slider alongside to see blemishes in low-detail areas like skies. Click on them to clean up.

215. Split-tone a shot

To split-tone a shot and get highlights and shadows in contrasting colours, go to Filter > Camera Raw Filter and in the HSL/ Greyscale tab, tick the Convert to Grayscale box. Now select the Split Toning tab, and adjust the Hue and Saturation sliders for the Highlights and the Shadows to get the colours you want. Use the Balance slider to mix them together. 

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10 Free PowerPoint Templates to Present Your Photos With Style

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I Let AI Handle Complex Excel Formulas for Me—You Should Too

The 6 notion features that keep my overwhelming task list in check, this app lets you assign tasks and send reminders to anyone.

You might think Photoshop is the best tool for putting together a photo collage, but actually PowerPoint offers plenty of free templates for you to use instead. Here's how to use a template in PowerPoint along with all the best PowerPoint photo collage templates you have to choose from.

Why Use PowerPoint Photo Collage Templates?

Share your photos: For our most popular preoccupation with photos—sharing.

Show off photos with style: A professional photo collage template can add gravity and enhance your photos.

Save time: Microsoft PowerPoint templates for photos are molds for standard layouts. Why reinvent the wheel? Save time with pre-made photography templates so you can focus on other things instead.

Showcase creativity: Turn a long-term photography project into a creative PowerPoint photo album presented as a slideshow.

How to Search for Free PowerPoint Photo Collage Templates

The most common use of Microsoft PowerPoint with photos is to use it as a photo album. PowerPoint ships with some default photo templates, but you can also use free templates in the Office Online Template & Themes gallery.

Follow these steps in Office 365. It should be similar for other versions of Microsoft Office as well.

• You can tweak your slides further by applying Themes from the Design tab with just a click. A theme is a predefined combination of colors, fonts, and effects. Different themes are suitable for different slide layouts.

Tip: You can pin your favorite templates to the New screen.

The 10 Best PowerPoint Photo Templates

Good presenters know not only what to present but also how to present. These 10 professional photo collage templates do some of the handholding for you.

1. Stay Minimal With the Classic Photo Album

The Classic Photo Album PowerPoint template is a minimal theme suitable for black and white street photography. Use this to create a personal portfolio. Limited to two colors, it doesn't distract from the photos you use the template for.

If you want to go with color, customize the default theme background, colors, number of images, alignment of thumbnails, and more by using the Ribbon.

2. Make a Baby Photo Collage

This PowerPoint photo slideshow template presents your cute baby pictures in a vertical style. You can use a different number of photos in the slides and write down memories associated with the photos.

3. A PowerPoint Collage for Wedding Photos

The elegant Wedding Photo Album is a compilation of 17 slides in different layouts. You will find other wedding album templates in the gallery, but this is an understated photo collage. You can add up to five wedding photos to create a collage. For more choices, search with a "wedding photo album" keyword.

4. Birthday Photo Album Template for Any Age

A common use of collages is to put together a birthday photo album. This PowerPoint template for birthday photos is easy to adapt to your needs. The 15 deck template also comes with editing instructions if you are a beginner on PowerPoint and need some help.

5. A Stylish Biography Template for Class

Studying the biographies of achievers is required reading in many grade levels. This is not for your photos but for profiling the life of famous men and women in the class. The Biography Presentation template is a well-designed template with space for photos and biographical information. Use each slide to focus on a single aspect of the achiever's life.

6. Escape With a Road Trip Photo Album Template

Just looking at the collage of placeholders for your road trip photos might make you want to take one. This beautiful PowerPoint template has eight slides, so you might need more of them if you bring back lots of memories.

7. Have Fun With a Party Photo Album Template

A fun party can throw up a lot of little moments. Capture them all in a slideshow with this 21-slide PowerPoint template. This photo collage template is colorful to match any fun theme for your party.

8. Remember Someone With a Memorial Album

Use the Floral memorial album template to pay tribute with a PowerPoint slideshow. The eight slides in the template are designed for different photos and one of the slides can even hold eight photos. This presentation design is somber but stylish at the same time.

9. Send a Reunion Reminder With a Family Photo Album

Present a few loving family photos to inspire everyone to start preparing for Thanksgiving and Christmas. The theme of these PowerPoint slides is simple, and you can easily add a few more slides to the default five this deck comes with.

10. Create a Stunning Photo Book

You might feel overwhelmed if someone asked you to put together a quick photo book. But use this subtle yet stylish PowerPoint photo book template to get the job done in no time. The name and the placeholder images might suggest a fashion theme, but you can easily repurpose it for any photos.

Let's Not Forget Office Online

You might not use PowerPoint Online for crafting that killer presentation, but it's still a free alternative to Microsoft Office with plenty of templates.

While most of the online photo templates are crossovers from the Office suite gallery, there are still some exceptions. For example, the Animated picture collection template.

You can always download a template from the online gallery to your desktop. And you can save your presentation to a web location just as easily with OneDrive, then access it from there with Office 365.

Other Sources of Free PowerPoint Templates

There also lots of non-Microsoft sources of free Microsoft PowerPoint templates and backgrounds. Search with a keyword like "photos" or "photo album" to find them. Here are a few suggestions:

• SlideHunter
• PPTtemplate.net
• PresenterMedia
• Powered Template
• Graphic River (paid)

Templates can help you take shortcuts through the time-consuming task of designing a presentation. That way you can save more time for perfecting the look of your presentation with a few profession design tips.

• Productivity
• Photo Sharing
• Presentations

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10 Fun Ideas To Elevate Your Photo Presentation Game

Have you ever looked at a photo and thought, "Hmm, what else can I do with this?" Trust me, you're not alone! Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out on your photographic adventure, there's always room to explore new avenues of creativity.

In the digital age, where photographs are abundant and attention spans fleeting, the manner in which we present our images to our audience plays a crucial role in capturing their interest and imagination. Creativity in how we display our photos not only enhances their visual appeal but also elevates the storytelling experience, fostering deeper engagement and connection with our viewers.

One of the primary reasons why creativity in photo presentation is essential is its ability to evoke emotion and intrigue. By deviating from traditional formats and experimenting with unconventional methods, such as really cool slideshows or interactive games, photographers can create immersive experiences that captivate the audience's attention from start to finish. Whether it's through dynamic transitions, eclectic music choices, or unexpected twists and turns, creative displays transform passive spectators into active participants, inviting them on a journey of discovery and wonder.

Moreover, creativity in photo presentation adds layers of depth and meaning to the images themselves. Rather than merely showcasing photographs in a static gallery or album, photographers can leverage innovative techniques to contextualize their work, convey narrative arcs, and evoke powerful emotions. For example, a slideshow may feature a thematic progression that reflects the photographer's artistic vision or a photo scavenger hunt could unfold like a thrilling adventure, prompting viewers to piece together clues and unravel hidden stories within the images.

Furthermore, creative photo displays offer opportunities for personal expression and branding. Just as every photograph is a reflection of the photographer's unique perspective, so too should be the way in which they are presented to the world. By infusing their displays with elements of their personality, style, and values, photographers can establish a distinct identity and leave a lasting impression on their audience. Whether it's through playful animations, quirky captions, or curated playlists, creative displays become an extension of the photographer's artistic voice, forging deeper connections with viewers and fostering loyalty and admiration.

Additionally, creativity in photo presentation fosters innovation and exploration within the photography community. By sharing their inventive approaches and techniques, photographers inspire others to push the boundaries of traditional presentation methods and explore new avenues of storytelling. Through collaboration, experimentation, and collective brainstorming, photographers can collectively elevate the art of photo presentation, enriching the viewing experience for audiences worldwide.

From photo slideshows to wild self portraits, here are ten super fun and innovative ways to elevate your photography experience:

These ten ideas offer a diverse range of opportunities to explore and expand your photography skills while having a ton of fun in the process!

The importance of being creative with how you display your photos to your audience cannot be overstated. Creative presentation methods not only enhance the visual appeal of your images but also deepen their storytelling impact, foster personal expression, and inspire innovation within the photography community. Whether through video slideshows, interactive games, or other imaginative displays, photographers have the power to transform their work into immersive experiences that resonate with viewers on a profound level. So, dare to think outside the box and let your creativity shine as you share your stories with the world.

Ready to dive in? Start your slideshow for free today.

Creating your next amazing slideshow is just a few clicks away. We can't wait to work with you.

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How to Create a Photo Slideshow with PowerPoint

Last Updated: February 6, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was reviewed by Stan Kats . Stan Kats is a Professional Technologist and the COO and Chief Technologist for The STG IT Consulting Group in West Hollywood, California. Stan provides comprehensive technology solutions to businesses through managed IT services, and for individuals through his consumer service business, Stan's Tech Garage. Stan holds a BA in International Relations from The University of Southern California. He began his career working in the Fortune 500 IT world. Stan founded his companies to offer an enterprise-level of expertise for small businesses and individuals. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 943,724 times.

With so many fun and accessible ways to take photos, there is no wonder why everyone is so photo-happy these days. As easy as it may be to stock up on photos, it can be a challenge to keep them organized. One great way to keep your photos in a convenient place, that is easy to access when you want to reminisce on special memories, is by uploading them into PowerPoint. By doing this, you can create a slideshow that is a fun-filled way to back up the memories in your life.

Creating Photo Slideshows for PC Computers

• Remember to save your presentation after something that will help you to remember what pictures are in the file. This will help you to locate them later on.

• Select a layout that will accommodate your image, such as a slide with a title box and an image box, a slide with just an image box, or even a blank slide.

• Double-click inside the image box (or go to Insert > Picture > From File ), then browse to the desired image.
• Click "Okay" or "Insert" to add the image. If you don't like the way it looks, select the image and click on "Picture" to change it out for a different one. You can also select the image and hit "Delete" to remove the picture.

• Locate the "Slide Sorter" button near the bottom of the image pane. Then, click and drag the slides to the desired destinations.

• To add music, click on the movies and audio icon located under the "Insert" tab. First, go to "Audio from file", and then, click on "Music" to pull up your music. When you choose the song you want, click on the song, and press "Link to file" before pressing "Insert". [9] X Research source
• You can choose if the song plays for just one slide or the entire presentation by clicking on "Format Audio" next to the "Home" button, and then, clicking on "Play Across Slides" under "Audio Options". [10] X Research source

Creating Photo Slideshows for Mac Computers

• You can scroll through your photos and choose the ones you want to add to your slideshow by double-clicking on them.

• To add music, click on the movies and audio icon located at the top of the PowerPoint screen. Then, click on "Music" and all of your music should appear. When you choose the song you want, drag and drop the file onto one of your slides.
• You can choose if the song plays for just one slide or the entire presentation by clicking on "Format Audio" next to the "Home" button, and then, clicking on "Play Across Slides" under "Audio Options".

Sample Slideshow

Community Q&A

• Choose a theme for the photo slideshow. If the photos are from a summer vacation, choose a bright yellow background or upbeat music. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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• ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-a-presentation-in-powerpoint-422250f8-5721-4cea-92cc-202fa7b89617
• ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/save-your-presentation-file-34377c9c-a1e5-44e1-9c3f-e6e72ee6c541
• ↑ https://tsengcollege.csun.edu/sites/default/files/PDFs/forWindows/Slide_Titles_in_Microsoft_PowerPoint.pdf
• ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-rearrange-duplicate-and-delete-slides-in-powerpoint-e35a232d-3fd0-4ee1-abee-d7d4d6da92fc
• ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-a-picture-in-powerpoint-5f7368d2-ee94-4b94-a6f2-a663646a07e1
• ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-transitions-between-slides-e89a076e-ed81-404e-9598-021a918fa1ba
• ↑ https://guides.lib.umich.edu/c.php?g=283149&p=1886370
• ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/play-music-across-multiple-slides-in-your-slide-show-b01ded6a-28c8-473a-971a-6dfa92cc9367
• ↑ http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/office/forum/officeversion_other-powerpoint/powerpoint-how-to-add-music-throughout-the/10a366a4-9727-4f78-aa06-e9f76c8a5269
• ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-rearrange-duplicate-and-delete-slides-in-powerpoint-e35a232d-3fd0-4ee1-abee-d7d4d6da92fc#OfficeVersion=macOS
• ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-a-picture-in-powerpoint-5f7368d2-ee94-4b94-a6f2-a663646a07e1#OfficeVersion=macOS
• ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/play-music-across-multiple-slides-in-your-slide-show-b01ded6a-28c8-473a-971a-6dfa92cc9367#OfficeVersion=macOS

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A Guide to Using Images and Photos For Powerpoint

No matter what industry you’re in, you’ll likely be tasked with creating PowerPoint presentations to use in meetings, for marketing, or as a standalone piece of sales collateral to hand off to a client. Whatever the context, a PowerPoint presentation allows you to share information in an easily digestible, visual format that informs the reader and brings your story to life. Presenting images alongside your text is a surefire way to make your slides more eye-catching, but it takes some finesse to give your audience information without the overload.

Creating an aesthetically pleasing PowerPoint can be a make-or-break deal, and the photos you use – along with the the right combination of colors, fonts and other graphic elements – can either convey professional credibility and inspiration, or be a jumbled mess that your audience won’t know how to decipher. In this guide, we’ll go over the best practices for using images in PowerPoint (or the slide deck program of your choice).

Tips for Presenting Images

Text, colors, and icons can’t always do the heavy lifting of a presentation on their own — using photos in PowerPoint will make your ideas feel more immediate, human, and relatable. Think about your key messages and your brand identity before adding images to your presentation. What story are you trying to tell? What audience are you trying to speak to?

Visuals are essential to creating an engaging presentation. Audiences will tune out if they see nothing but text.

Generally, you should focus on adding photos to your PowerPoint that support and emphasize your key statements, rather than overshadow or distract from them. Selecting more muted background images for presentation slides can also maintain the look, feel, and texture you desire without attracting too much focus.

Here, we’ve compiled a handy guide to the Do’s and Don’ts of PowerPoint presentation design and selecting the right images:

1. Use High Quality Photos

Nothing can tarnish your professional credibility quicker than seeing a blurry, pixelated image in your presentation. This is why adding high-resolution stock photography to your presentation is a must, and drawing from the wealth of professional photos available on a site like Noun Project will lend your slides an immediate air of professionalism.

Go to NounProject.com/photos and search for keywords related to your main idea. You can view specific collections like Diversity in Tech , Empowered Women , Students , and Hiking , and explore additional images by photographer as well.

When you’ve found a stock photo you like, be sure to download it in the resolution you want. Noun Project offers many photos for free in a lower resolution, but depending on how large your final presentation will be, you’ll want the highest resolution that can be expanded to fit your screen without pixelation. Always double check to make sure that the picture still looks crisp at full screen size.

Tip: Standard screen resolutions are 1920 pixels wide by 1080 pixels high (and most default PowerPoint templates have these dimensions). Be sure your photo is at least the same dimension if you’re doing a full screen size to avoid pixelation.

2. Practice Consistency

Chances are, your entire presentation focuses on a single overarching idea and the photos you use should reflect that. In addition to finding the right subjects, pay attention to the other aesthetic qualities of the photos you bring in. Are they in a similar, complementary color scheme? Are they shot in similar environments for a consistent tone (e.g., sleek and corporate, rugged and outdoorsy, urban and gritty, or light and playful)?

Use images in PowerPoint that support and accentuate your theme and overall tone. The images you use throughout should complement each other without repeating or looking too dissimilar.

The most fail-proof way to ensure consistency is to draw from an individual photographer or a particular photo shoot. Stock photographers will often shoot several different angles, poses and variations from a single scene, so you can find just the right shot for each slide and remind your audience that this is all part of one cohesive message.

Noun Project organizes stock photos in collections from individual shoots, so almost any image you click on will have similar ones from the series available. Bear in mind, though, that you don’t want to use too many similar images — the more you can change scenes without shifting the tone, the better.

Adding photos to a presentation from the same photographer is the easiest way to keep it visually consistent. If you insert photos from the same shoot, just make sure you add enough variety so it doesn’t become repetitive. Pictured: Fitness photo collection by Jacob Lund.

Once you have your desired photos downloaded (and ideally put in the same folder in your hard drive), here’s how to add pictures to PowerPoint:

• Simply click and drag the picture file (as .JPG or .PNG) from your file finder window into the PowerPoint pane. You may see the “Design Ideas” toolbar pop up on the side of your pane, with different options you can try out to arrange visual elements.
• Alternatively, go to Insert > Pictures > Picture from file , and select the photo you want from your finder.

3. Avoid Photo Clutter

The photos you add to your PowerPoint should be presented one at a time, or minimally enough to maintain focus — too many photos can cause clutter and become distracting. You don’t want the photo to be the sole star of the show — you want it to support your statements and add emotional resonance to your messages.

There may, however, be occasions when you want to use multiple images that support a unifying topic: for example, steps in a process or different ways that customers can purchase your product.

If you ever want to add one or more smaller photos, rather than a large background image, here are a few rules of thumb:

• Crop the photos to the same size or shape: Having mixed dimensions makes the overall composition feel unbalanced. Whether you choose a square, rectangle, or circle shape for your photos, making them all the same size and shape will boost the scannability of your page.
• Group and align: Again, scannability is key. When you group the elements of your page together in an even and consistent way, people will visually register the pattern and can digest the content more quickly. For example, you may have three groupings that consist of an image, headline, and descriptive body text. Make sure that these elements are (1) clustered together so they form one unified thought, (2) grouped to match each other so they form a visual “rhythm” across the page with equal text sizes, line weights, and image dimensions, and (3) aligned and justified along the X or Y axis for legibility (in PowerPoint, select multiple objects and go to Arrange > Align to line them up along the same axis).
• If using different sized photos, fit them together into a cohesive shape . A binding element like a grid with solid lines will help the photos appear on the page like neatly fitted puzzle pieces. Again, keep overall alignment in mind — the more your content stays organized in tidy rows and columns, the more scannable it will be.

If you must use multiple photos, PowerPoint’s Design Ideas toolbar will give you options to array them in a neatly aligned grid. Focus on creating a tidy overarching shape to avoid the cluttered “collage” effect.

4. Choose Photos Over Clipart

Clipart has been nearly synonymous with PowerPoint and other programs since the ’90s, but unfortunately hasn’t evolved much with the times. While a piece of clipart from the web may encapsulate or accentuate your key themes, keep in mind these aesthetic considerations:

• Professional credibility is lost when your design looks “dated” or “cartoonish,” but gained when your presentation is sleek and modern.
• While aiming for visual consistency, also bear in mind that more muted and subtle visuals — from the photos you choose to the icons that illustrate your key points — help keep the focus on your words and ideas, rather than your visual aids
• If you want to add a more sleek, modernized look, browse Noun Project’s collection of over 3 million icons to find a corresponding set to include.

For a more polished and modern look, go for minimalist and visually consistent icons to accentuate key messages, rather than clipart.

Tip: The PowerPoint Add-In for Noun Project lets you search and pull in icons right there in the software without having to leave your workflow. Go to Insert > Add-Ins > Get Add-Ins and search for Noun Project. Once you open the Noun Project Add-In window and log in to your account, choose icons from the same collection to ensure that they’re visually consistent.

Find the Noun Project PowerPoint Add-In on NounProject.com or, from PowerPoint, go to Insert > Add-Ins > Get Add-Ins to search for Noun Project icons.

5. Don’t Use Watermarked Images

Even if it is small, a watermark can be distracting and, once spotted, can negatively impact your credibility. Be sure to use free photos and credit the photographer, or pay for the photos you use in your presentations to avoid the loss of credibility and trust that can occur when you use watermarked images.

Not sure what usage rights you have with an image? Let’s cover the basics of how to cite images in a presentation: Questions about fees, licenses, and usage rights are common, and citing images in a presentation is the standard expectation for free photos so that the photographer gets credit. Fortunately, Noun Project Photos provides a transparent model for photo usage and licensing — any free photo download is licensed under Creative Commons, which allows you to use the photo for noncommercial purposes, without creating derivatives, as long as you provide attribution to the photographer.

The “Basic Download” option will not only give you a free, CC-licensed image, but tell you exactly what attribution information you should include when you cite it. Once you click “Get This Photo,” you’ll see the image title and photographer name listed in a text box — simply copy the text and include it on your slide to properly cite the image.

Noun Project Photos provides a transparent licensing model in which photos are free to use with attribution under Creative Commons.

Your presentation may have a footer for notes, where such a citation could easily fit. If not, many presentations will have all the attributions listed on a final page. Under Creative Commons, both methods are acceptable.

6. Maintain Diversity in Photos

The truth is incontrovertible: representation matters. Stock photography — like much of the broader media and marketing landscape — has faced a chronic issue with only representing a particular sub-sect of the population, and more and more consumers have started to notice. At Noun Project, we’re dedicated to ensuring that the visual resources we share are inclusive, free from outdated stereotypes, and more accurately reflect the world we live in . Through initiatives like our Diversity in Tech and Empowered Women photo collections, we’re championing more equal and accurate representation in the world of stock photography.

Double-check the photos you’ve added to your presentation and ask yourself: Does this speak to the widest possible audience, or does it leave certain groups out of the picture?

Noun Project offers diverse, inclusive photos, so you can finally leave the stuffy corporate photo shoot in the past. Audiences want to see natural, non-posed, high-quality photos that better resemble day-to-day life.

7. Keep it Simple.

Finally, slides should be readable. The visual elements you choose should bolster the core message of each slide, rather than overshadowing it. Key things to watch out for are:

• Less text, more talk . Unless you’re handing off a comprehensive sales deck, you as the presenter should be doing the talking — not the words on the page. Focus on using short bullet points to extract main ideas and keywords, rather than numerous full sentences.
• Check your text size. Bigger is better (and with less text on the page, it should have more room to breathe). But don’t forget about hierarchy: there should be a clear distinction between headlines and supporting text.
• Check legibility . Are you using simple, legible text for body copy? Does the text appear clearly against the background? Up the contrast or find a more suitable background that doesn’t strain the eye.

Search for “Copy Space” photos to add to your presentation. The best background photos to add are those that have plenty of white space for you to add your own content. While bold, busy photographs might be the most visually striking, bear in mind that your text needs room to breathe. A quick Noun Project search for “Copy Space” will lead you to more minimal photographs that include this built-in space for text.

Search for photos with copy space to give your text legibility. Tip: If you need to set text against a more visually busy background, add a semi-transparent color block. Add a rectangle (Insert > Shapes > Rectangle) underneath your text, give it a black fill, but adjust the transparency until the text becomes clearer while leaving the photo visible.

Explore More Stock Photos for PowerPoint at Noun Project

Noun Project Photos features professionally-selected, inclusive, beautiful and affordable images created by a global community of photographers. We’ve curated our collection to put visual clichés and tired, outdated stereotypes to rest — so you can find stunning images for any project. With worry-free licenses, you’ll support photographers and have peace of mind with clear image usage rights, including model and property releases.

Explore the collection at thenounproject.com/photos/ and follow our blog for more tutorials about visual communication.

Marketing Communications Manager at Noun Project, Designer and Illustrator.

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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

by Carmine Gallo

Summary .   

Never underestimate the power of great communication. It can help you land the job of your dreams, attract investors to back your idea, or elevate your stature within your organization. But while there are plenty of good speakers in the world, you can set yourself apart out by being the person who can deliver something great over and over. Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired together are more memorable); don’t underestimate the power of your voice (raise and lower it for emphasis); give your audience something extra (unexpected moments will grab their attention); rehearse (the best speakers are the best because they practice — a lot).

I was sitting across the table from a Silicon Valley CEO who had pioneered a technology that touches many of our lives — the flash memory that stores data on smartphones, digital cameras, and computers. He was a frequent guest on CNBC and had been delivering business presentations for at least 20 years before we met. And yet, the CEO wanted to sharpen his public speaking skills.

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Best Practices for Presenting a Photo Portfolio Online

This sponsored post features a product relevant to our readers while meeting our editorial guidelines for being objective and educational.

Having a professional website to showcase your photography is an essential tool that every photographer needs. However, finding the right platform and means for presenting your work can be a headache. Thankfully though, the guys at Zenfolio have developed a series of tools that allow you to create a personalised online portfolio, giving you everything you need to run your photographic business.

This content was commissioned by Zenfolio and was written and/or edited by the Tuts+ team. Our aim with sponsored content is to publish relevant and objective tutorials, case studies, and inspirational interviews that offer genuine educational value to our readers and enable us to fund the creation of more useful content.

A Site that Suits your Needs

If you’re anything like me, then when it comes to presenting your portfolio, taking the pictures can seem like the easy part! Developing and constructing a website is not something that comes naturally to me, however, Zenfolio offer your a series of packages that require no coding whatsoever, which is music to my ears.

You can select one of their pre-made Flash and HTML templates, and get started right away. Alternatively, you can export pre-made sites or sort your own hosting solutions. All you need to do then is to attach your own domain name, which they’ll walk you through, so your site is personalised according to your business name.

Fully Customisable

Even if you’ve selected one of the Zenfolio templates, you can still customize it according to your preferred style and imagery by using the built-in tools. By selecting a theme, colour palette, choosing the typography and arranging the layout, you can make your site unique.

You can then add your own logo to complete the personalised feel of your site. So whether you want a modern clean, crisp and white site, fancy borders, or a themed site to suit wedding or children’s photography, it’s all there ready to go.

It’s All About The Photos

Once you’ve begun designing your site, it’s time to start thinking about the images that you want to display. Now unfortunately, even Zenfolio can’t create a tool to help you with this part, and image selection is a notoriously difficult part of putting together a portfolio.

The golden rule here is quality over quantity. No one is going to spend hours viewing your images to find the best few, so it’s up to you to select the highest quality shots. My favourite way to select images is to have them all printed out, just as cheap 6x4 inch prints. By doing this, you can see them all at once and arrange them on the living room floor, much easier than sifting through files on a hard drive!

Think about how you want to present your shots, do they fall into natural groups, stories or themes? If so, try to organise them in this manner so it’s easier to consider images in sets. Have a target figure in mind, for example you could have 5 sets with 10 images in each, so 50 in total.

If you start with 100 shots, whittle it down to the best 75, then the best 60 and finally the best 50. During the process, ask a fellow professional to take a look, they’ll be far less personally attached to the images and should be able to offer you a useful second opinion on which are your strongest images.

Uploading Your Images

So you’ve got your images ready, now all you have to do is upload them to your Zenfolio site, made easy with integration for Lightroom, Aperture or the Zenfolio app. You’re able to upload an unlimited amount of full resolution files and once they’re uploaded, then simply select the display size of each image.

Arranging Your Images

You’re now ready to organise and arrange your images into folders so they’re ready for display. You can add tags and descriptions to make you images more searchable and select a cover image for each folder.

Another excellent feature that Zenfolio has is the ability to password protect or make certain folders private. This is something I’ve been waiting for someone to do for a while, as it gives you the ability to showcase a selection of high resolution images to specific clients.

This avoids having to send clients large downloadable folders of low resolution images and instead gives access high quality files.

Image Security

It’s crucial that your images are secure. As the photographer, you maintain full copyright of your images and you can protect your work by applying a custom watermark. Zenfolio has also thought this through very well by ensuring that your images cannot be right-click saved or dragged to the desktop, giving you some peace of mind.

Make Your Portfolio About You!

A vital part of any portfolio is that the viewer can know more about you as a photographer, but also as a person. An "About Me" section may feel slight arduous to fill in, but it helps others build a personal connection to you and your work.

Let people know who you are, what experience you have, where you’re based and what makes you and your work unique. You can also include information on any awards, commendations you’ve received and where you’ve exhibited your work

Be sure to include contact information and a photo of yourself, which is crucial for that personal connection with the viewer. It’s surprising how many photographers don’t think to include one!

Reach New Clients

Up until this point, you’ve designed your site, presented your images beautifully and written who you are, but all that’s no good unless you get people looking at your site! Zenfolio has integration with all of the major social networking sites, so you can showcase your images to your new fans and build a customer base.

Zenfolio also priorities SEO so that your site and image tags can be easily found through Google and other search engines. They’ve also included a tool that allows you to collect registration information from viewers and potential clients in order to build up a mailing list.

Get Blogging!

Alongside your portfolio site, Zenfolio also offers a blog that you can use to upload recent images, pieces about current jobs and stories you’re working on to keep clients up to date.

Designed to showcase your images at their best, it’ll save you the stress of having to keep your separate blogs and portfolios up to date as they’ll all be in one place!

The most important thing about maintaining a blog is that it keeps people coming back to your site. Your photography portfolio probably won't change very quickly. People may feel that if they've visited your site once, they've seen everything. If you're updating a blog regularly, it gives them a reason to keep visiting. This keeps your name fresh in people's minds.

Your Personalised Store

Zenfolio’s "Cart" feature gives you the option to apply your images to over 500 products, including a large variety of direct printing options. They also allow you to sell digital image downloads so you can operate your site like a stock photography business.

The "Cart" accepts credit cards and PayPal, making it easy for clients to make purchases, which keeps the money coming in for you! You also have the option of offering marketing tools such as coupon codes and gift certificates to bring people into your online store!

Zenfolio Support

As well as offering you all the ready made tools that you need to get started, Zenfolio offers a range of support tools to help you if you ever run into trouble. As well as their support centre, they have a selection of video tutorials and live webinars, offering training on how to get the most out of your site and build your business.

Get Your Site Up Today

So there you have it, everything you need to create a professional online portfolio. Zenfolio offers you the tools to make a unique and secure site that displays your images at their best, gives you ways to connect with clients and allows you to give yourself a much needed online presence.

Having already won ‘Best Website Builder 2013‘ at The [F] Awards and named as ‘Hot One 2013’ by Professional Photographer, Zenfolio is starting to receive some serious praise. Now is the time to check it out for yourself.

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25 Stunning Photography Presentation Templates for New PPT Slideshows 2024

Are you in the photography business? Does your boss want you to develop a photo PowerPoint template? Maybe a client wants to see a PowerPoint photo presentation with your portfolio.

With one of our stunning photo presentation templates , you're sure to impress.

Photo presentation templates save you time. All you've got to do is add the information and images for your presentation. Voila! You've got a professional PowerPoint presentation that's ready to present. There's no wasted time trying to come up with a theme or design.

Envato Elements offers premium photography presentation PPTs. These PowerPoint photography templates are more professional than any free template. There are hundreds of photography PowerPoint templates  and cool photography PPT templates. 

25 Top Envato Elements Photography PowerPoint Templates for 2024

Envato Elements offers premium picture PowerPoint templates with everything you need to put together a great photography portfolio.  Here's a list of some of the best picture PowerPoint templates on Envato Elements:

1. Focus - Photography PowerPoint Presentation Template

Focus Photography PowerPoint Template is a clean and minimalist photography presentation PPT. Create stunning compositions with your images for your photo presentation . This photography template includes:

• 60+ unique slides
• PPT, PPTX, and PDF files
• 16:9 and widescreen sizes
• animated slides
• print ready
• mockup devices

2. Flopy - Modern Minimalist Photography Presentation

Flopy is a modern photography presentation for PPT   with a beautiful minimalist design. This photography PowerPoint template has:

• over 34 unique slides
• 16:9 screen ratio
• transitions and animations
• lookbook and magazine style

3. Bright - Fashion Photography PowerPoint Presentation

Are you looking for nice presentation photo ideas? The Bright photography PPT template has a beautiful pastel color theme. It's perfect for anyone who loves colors. See why this template PowerPoint for photography is the right one for you:

• 30 different slides
• 150 total slides
• five color variations

Start creating the most amazing photo presentation with this template! 

4. Splash - Modern Photography PowerPoint Template

Splash photography PowerPoint is a multipurpose photographer presentation. This modern photography template  includes:

• 30 unique slide
• five color schemes
• fully and easily editable
• vector-based
• total 150 slides

Splash can save you time and give you the professional look you want.

5. Xolea - Business Profile and Photo Presentation Template

Xolea is one of the PowerPoint templates for photography that delights with color. This photography PPT template comes with:

• 100 presentation slides
• 50 unique slide designs
• two color theme variations
• drag and drop image to screen mockups
• vector shape illustrations

It's a high-quality photo presentation template you can use for a variety of purposes, like business presentations.

6. Portio - Clever Photography PowerPoint Template

The modern Portio photography presentation template is designed with your portfolio in mind. Download this photography template and you'll get :

• 40+ unique slides
• PDF documentation
• professionally designed slides
• mockup devices, portfolio slides, vector-based icons

You can create a top photo presentation about photography in no-time. Start working with this photography slides template! 

7. Altara - Fashion Photography Slides Template

If you're a fashion photographer, this photography PowerPoint presentation can match with your portfolio. Here's what you get with it:

• 12 PPTX and PPT files
• premade color themes
• dark and light versions
• widescreen and standard sizes
• documentation

This makes the photography slides template a perfect choice for showcasing a portfolio of your work.

8. Pastel Photography PowerPoint Presentation Template

This is a pared-back canvas for your photography PowerPoint presentation ideas. The color scheme is minimal and draws attention to your images. Make your photo portfolio professional with:

• 30 unique slides
• help guide file
• animations and transitions

9. Mbiring Manggis Photography - Picture Presentation Template

Looking for a profesional photography slides template? Use this picture presentation template as a starting point to design your portfolio. Its unique layout to showcase your photos is easy to edit thanks to image placeholders.

Download this template and find:

• widescreen aspect ratio
• master page layouts
• PPT and PPTX files
• easily editable elements
• free font used

Just drag and drop your content to make a photographer presentation. 

10. Forloe – Creative Photography PowerPoint Template

Forloe is a modern, clean and minimalist photography PowerPoint template that can be used for any variety of purposes, like a creative agency, company profile, photography portfolio, pitch deck, and more.

This photo presentation template comes with:

• PPTX, PPT and documentation files
• 36 unique multipurpose slides
• resizeable and editable graphics
• 16:9 widescreen ratio

Explore this template PowerPoint for photography and share all of your picture presentation ideas.

11. Krama - BW Photography PowerPoint Template

Krama is an elegant, black and white, contemporary photography presentation template. It's perfect for a presentation about photography. Check it out:

• easy and fully editable in Powerpoint software
• HD widescreen
• handcrafted design

This photography PowerPoint template allows you to create your photographer presentation with ease.

12. Kalisya - Wedding Photography PowerPoint Template

Here's a modern PowerPoint photo slideshow template for photographers. It's perfect for wedding photography. It will help you show the delicate touch of your wedding photos with:

• 40+ professionally designed slides
• focus on typography and usability
• based on master slides
• editable charts
• unique mockup devices and portfolio slides
• free support

Kalisya is the perfect template PPT for photography for showcasing a portfolio of your work. 

13. Minimal Fashion Catalog & PowerPoint Template for Photography

This PowerPoint template for photography file is multipurpose with a modern design. It's cool, fun, and a bit quirky to make your presentation on photography more attention-grabbing. Here's what you'll get:

• 135+ unique slides
• custom professional design
• editable layout
• unlimited color options
• PDF preview

14. Lusa - Engaging Photography PowerPoint Template

Do you like creative picture presentation ideas? This is a modern photography presentation template for PPT with a bright design, and it has:

• three Premade colors schemes
• easily editable

Plus, the design of this PowerPoint photo slideshow template draws the eye of the audience. 

15. Shuter – Elegant Photography PowerPoint Template

This photography PPT template will impress your audience and leave them wanting more. It's an awesome choice if you've been searching for PowerPoint templates for photography thanks to its features:

• PPTX, PPT, PDF files
• 36 multipurpose slides
• free web fonts
• 16:9 Widescreen ratio
• drag and drop editing

You can truly make this template PPT for photography your own and present your body of work.

16. Vibes - Unique Photography PowerPoint Template

Show the love and harmonious vibes of your work with this photo presentation template. Be visually appealing to your audience with help from these specs:

• over 64 unique slides
• 11 color schemes (and you can make your own palette!)
• light and dark backgrounds
• handmade infographics
• fully customizable
• section break slides

Take full advantage of everything this photography slides template has to offer.

17. Camrol - Edgy Photography PowerPoint Template

Looking for a PowerPoint  photo slideshow template? For a vibrant, modern, and energetic design, this PowerPoint photo slideshow template. It's an excellent choice if you're making a commanding business presentation about photography. Let's see why:

• more than 45 unique slides
• PPTX, PPT files
• versatile, professional design
• detail oriented
• vector based icons

Not only that, but you can download this picture presentation template and get it ready in just a few clicks!

18. PRONTO - Energetic Photo Presentation Template

Express your personality in a photographer presentation confidently. Work with the Pronto template PPT for photography. You can edit it to represent your brand and customize it to your liking. Plus, see more about what it has to offer:

With these specs, this template PPT for photography will become your best friend to showcase your picture presentation ideas.

19. Aresa - Drone Photography PowerPoint Template

Elevate and make your work fly! Here's a beautiful photography PPT template to put your work front and center. Easily edit this photography PowerPoint template to suit your picture presentation ideas and share your work your own way. Here's how:

• 30 different, handcrafted slides

Elevate your work with a photo presentation template like this one. You won't find a similar picture presentation template elsewhere.

20. Sevana - Beautiful Photography PowerPoint Template

Let your passion, creativity and craft shine through with this photo presentation template. Find all you need in this high-quality PowerPoint photo slideshow template. Add your images for presentation and you're all set. This download includes:

• 16:9 HD widescreen
• fully editable elements

Give your work a boost with a photography PowerPoint template like this one.

21. Drontix - Drone Aerial Template PowerPoint for Photography

Photography from a bird's eye view creates stunning images that delight audiences. Capture this spirit with this photographer presentation template. It's got a clean PowerPoint template for photography shot from drones. Add your images for presentation to this template! This download includes:

• fully customizable graphics
• based on Master Slides

This photo presentation template is sure to make your pictures fly.

22. Crapy - Minimalist Template PowerPoint for Photography

With spots of color, this is a wonderfully creative photography PowerPoint template. The vibrant backdrop serves to frame your images and text content across each slide. Here are some of the features in this template PowerPoint for photography :

• 30 multipurpose slides
• plenty of color options
• 16:9 aspect ratio
• handmade infographic

You can accurately present who you are with this PowerPoint photo slideshow template. Easily edit this PowerPoint template for photography.

23. ELLE-GHAN - Sophisticated Photography PowerPoint Template

Elle-ghan is elegant. Portray your work and let it speak for itself with this impressive photography slides template. Aside from a gorgeous professional design, you'll get:

• 30 types of slides
• PPTX and PPT files
• editable graphics

Grab the attention of your audience with this top photography presentation template. 

24. Porcelain - Balanced Photo Presentation Template

Bring color and life into your portfolio with this photography PPT template. The Porcelain photo presentation template is delicate but throws a punch. It strikes the right balance so you can show the type of photography you do and let others know of your picture presentation ideas. Here are some of its features:

• 30 total slides
• 1920×1080 px
• links to free fonts

You'll stand out from the crowd with this balanced and creative photography PPT template.

25. Putih - Clean PowerPoint Photography Presentation Template

This is the ultimate clean, minimalist, ethereal template PPT for photography. We end the list with one of the best photography PowerPoint template for portfolios. Also works for fashion businesses, magazines, and other related areas.

Download this PowerPoint photo slideshow template to get:

• PPT and PPTX file types
• easily customizable design
• 16:9 ratio and 1920×1080 px

You'll get the tools to create a stunning portfolio with this photography PPT template.

5 Free Premium Presentation Templates from Envato Elements

Envato Elements has a selection of free premium items for you! Choose from these five amazing free templates  for you to download: 

1. Bezella - Photography Portfolio Template

Bezzella is a versatile Photo PowerPoint template that combines clean spreads and a minimal design. This premium presentation photo template includes:

• 38 unique slides
• Resizable and editable graphics
• Drag and drop image place holders
• 100% free fonts

2. The Arsislide - Photography Portfolio Template

Worked on an amazing architecture photoshoot? Try Arsislide. This premium photography portfolio template. It comes packed with features like:

• 55 unique slide designs
• Image placeholders
• Master Slides
• Full HD (16:9)

3. Deep - Photography Portfolio Template

Deep is a high contrast photo PowerPoint template that will make your work pop. It comes with different layouts to arrange your photographs, and other features like:

• 150 unique slides
• 15+ different layouts
• 700+ Editable icons
• Free and Fast support 24/7

4. Cassava - Photo PowerPoint Template

Cassava is a premium photography portfolio template created with photos in mind. Use the beautiful spreads and layouts to showcase your best work. Select your images for a presentation and you're good to go. It features:

• 35 slide designs
• Easy to edit and customize
• Drag and drop ready
• Includes PPT and PPTX files

5. LIABLE - Multipurpose PowerPoint Template

LIABLE is an easy to edit picture PowerPoint template ready to set up. This presentation photo template works for both photo studios and freelance photographers. Take advantage of features like:

• Based on master slides
• Drag and drop
• High-res 19020x1080 pixel

How to Make Great Photography Presentations With PPT Templates

It’s time to customize your chosen PowerPoint template for photography. Follow the steps below to make a great photography presentation with a PPT template.

For the purposes of this tutorial, I’m using the Contrast template  from Envato Elements. It's got a clean design and three premade color schemes. 

1. Choose Your Slides

Choose which slides you’re going to use in your presentation about photography. To do this, go to View > Slide Sorter and delete all the slides you don’t want to keep by right-clicking and deleting them.

2. Add Your Content

Here's where you can add your picture presentation ideas. Switch back to the Normal view and then go back to the Home tab. Now, double-click on any slide you want to edit.

Select all the text and replace it with your own as seen in the screenshot of slide #2.

3. Insert Your Images

Adding your own images is easy when you’re working with image placeholders. Click the picture icon on the placeholder.

Locate the image on your computer and add it to the PowerPoint photo presentation as I’ve done on slide #13.

4. Customize Colors

To change the color of the text, all you've got to do is select the text and then choose a color from the text color menu.

To change the color of the grey background, click on View > Slide Master . Then, select the grey background layer, right-click and select Format Shape .

Choose your preferred color under Solid Color Fill .

5. Customize Fonts

Customize the fonts by highlighting the text you want to customize.

Then choose a different font from the drop-down menu as I've done on slide #13.

5 PowerPoint Photography Presentation Ideas for 2024

You've chosen the right photography presentation template for your needs. Now, are you wondering how to put your presentation about photography together? Here are five photography presentation ideas to get you started:

1. Tell a Story

Stories make your PowerPoint photo presentation more impactful. Put your images together to form a narrative throughout your slideshow. 

2. Experiment With Color

One way to experiment with color is to use all black and white images in your presentation.

Another way to experiment is to have different-colored sections in your presentation. There could be a black and white image section and a colorful images section. Most PowerPoint photography templates let you customize color schemes. Try this out for yourself.

3. Create a Timeline

To tell a story with your images or show how your images techniques changed over time. It'll be less confusing for the audience if you use a timeline with your images. A timeline can help you tell your story in a succinct manner. 

4. Minimize Text

Let your photos do most of the talking and cut the amount of text you’re using on the slides. Use text as headlines or on section break slides and leave the rest of the slides for your photos. 

5. Experiment With Layouts

Don’t forget to experiment with different layouts. You don’t have to use a standard grid. Instead, use a masonry layout or combine images of different lengths and widths. This creates a unique presentation for your photos. 

Discover More Great PowerPoint Photography Templates

Didn't find what you're looking for?

Here are great multi-purpose templates that you could use for your photography presentation:

5 Photography Presentation Design Trends for 2024

We've just shown you a selection of our best photo presentation templates and how to use them. Now let me share some of the coolest design trends for 2024:

1. Go for Bold Imagery 

Are you looking for picture presentation ideas for 2024? This is a big trend this year. It's especially great to showcase photographs. The best photography presentation PPTs focus on bold imagery to capture attention.

The key is the location of the pictures in your slides. A well-placed image will balance text-heavy slides beautifully. Like in this PowerPoint presentation template for photography:

2. Don't Be Afraid of Using Animations

Animation effects are a big trend for this year. Don't be afraid to include them in your presentation on photography.

They help you pace your speech and enhance your presentations. You can use them to:

• add transitions between slides
• reveal elements like bullet points

But animations are easy to overdo. That's why we included a detailed guide to help you in the process:

3. Add Audio to Your Presentation

Did you know you can add audio and music to your photography PPT presentation? This little-known feature can really transform your pitch.

A sound effect or background music can set the tone for your presentation. Are sending your photographer presentation potential clients? The audio will create a nice background for your viewers.

4. Include Interactive Maps 

Perhaps you're a photographer that wants to display all the places where you've shot. If so, you'll like one of the latest trends for presentations this year. 

Learn how to make an interactive map using a pre-built PowerPoint map template in our guide:

5. Don't Forget Your Contact Details

Keep your contact details in mind when you do your next presentation. This is useful for professionals who are looking to connect with potential clients. 

The last photography presentation PPT slide should include the contact information. So, the audience can follow-up and start conversations.

Benefits of Using Professionally Designed PowerPoint Photography Templates (from Envato Elements)

You've found good options for your PowerPoint presentation about photography from Envato Elements. But why should you spend money on a premium PPT photography template? Before you make a decision, it's important to know the benefits of using this service. And here are just a few of them:

• You'll seem more professional. People will take you and your work more seriously when they see your portfolio, thanks to the quality of the photos and the professional design of the photo presentation template.
• You'll have the backup of a high-quality design. A professional PowerPoint template for photography can also influence how you see yourself. Knowing you have the backup of a high-quality design will give you a confidence boost.
• You can portray your work accurately. You put a lot of care and passion into what you do. A premium photography PPT template can help you portray that effectively.
• It will save you time and money. You have no time or money to waste. A top photography slides template is ready to go at a moment's notice, saving you valuable resources.
• You'll exercise your creativity. Finally, a premium PowerPoint template for photography will allow you to modify and tweak it to show your creativity, brand, and style without much fuss.

Common PowerPoint Questions Answered (FAQ)

It's great you've found a template PPT for your next photography presentation. But if you have questions about PowerPoint, that can slow you down. That's why I've gathered some answers to the most frequently asked questions about the presentation software we all know:

1. What's the Difference Between Free and Premium Photography PowerPoint Presentation Templates?

Sure enough, there are plenty of photography PowerPoint presentations for free out there. But the best advantages that we offer with our premium templates are:

• Professional, top-notch designs. You'll get the best photography PowerPoint templates designed by our experienced designers. So, your presentation is sure to stand out thanks to its professional design.
• Slide variety. Chances are, you've seen and use all the themes included in PPT. And your audience will recognize them too. In our libraries, you'll get a wide variety of templates. Each of them comes with many slide designs that'll serve your needs. And won't bore your audience.

2. Is PowerPoint Free to Use?

There are a few different ways in which you can license Microsoft Office. And yes, one of them can be for free:

• Office 365. This is the subscription-based model for using Office apps, with a monthly or annual package. You'll always have access to the latest version of the Office apps as long as you continue paying for Office 365.
• Office Home . The "Home" edition is a one-time purchase of Office with no subscription attached. But your app won't stay up to date as Microsoft releases new versions and features.
• Office Online. Run PowerPoint in a web browser. Regardless of which version of PowerPoint you use, you can pair it with the browser-based version of the app for free.

3. How Can I Make an Attractive Presentation About Myself?

Are you a professional photographer looking to attract new clients? It'll be necessary to make a presentation to introduce yourself. 

If this looks daunting to you, don't worry. The first steps are:

• decide which information you'll include
• create an appealing introduction
• learn to sell yourself

Here are useful recommendations:

4. How Can I Track Changes in a PPT Presentation?

PowerPoint has a very useful feature that comes in handy if you're working with more people in the same presentation. 

Tracking changes in PowerPoint is possible, and only takes a few steps! The result makes it easy to compare your original version with a collaborator's copy. Learn how here:

5. Can I Use PowerPoint to Create Printed Products?

Yes, and this is very useful for photographers. You can use brochure templates for PowerPoint. They'll give you the blueprint for a great printed product.

We give you all the details here:

Learn More About Using PowerPoint

PowerPoint is a powerful program. If you plan on making a lot of presentations, you should learn more about using PowerPoint so you can create standout presentations. Here are some tutorials that'll help you make the most out of PowerPoint:

Best Photography PowerPoint Templates on Envato Elements (With Unlimited Use)

You'll find hundreds of the best photography PowerPoint presentation templates on Envato Elements. And there's a great offer. Download as many as you want for one low price.

These premium photography PowerPoint presentation templates are for photography presentations.

Photo PPT Templates

You might be tempted by photography PowerPoint presentations you find for free. But you won't get the same quality.

With a professional photography presentation PPT you'll find:

• easy-to-use slide layouts designed to take advantage of the latest trends
• rich image placeholders to show off photos and videos
• customizable layouts to make every theme your own

Plus, now Envato Elements has introduced an AI-powered search feature ! This new tool allows you to input a description of your project to effortlessly locate the finest human-crafted resources.

Why not choose an Envato Elements template for your next photography PowerPoint presentation?

Download a Photography PowerPoint Presentation Template Today!

You've seen top-rated photography PowerPoint presentation templates from Envato Elements. We've also shared some presentation ideas to help you with your next photography presentation.

A professionally designed photo presentation template will save you time. And it's better than a photography PowerPoint presentation for free. You'll work with a high-quality design. These PowerPoint photography templates are much better than any free photography PowerPoint presentation.

So, why not download a Photography PowerPoint template today? Save time and make a powerful impression with your PowerPoint photo presentation.

Editorial Note: This post has been updated with contributions from Lex Soto , Brenda Barron , Maria Villanueva , Nathan Umoh , and Dacia Egurrola . Brenda and Nathan are freelance instructors for Envato Tuts+. Maria is an Associate Editor for Envato Tuts+ Design & Illustration. Dacia is a staff writer with Envato Tuts+. Lex is a staff writer for Envato Tuts+.

• Presentations

105+ Creative Presentation Ideas to Engage Your Audience

Written by: Orana Velarde

With most people tuning out of a PowerPoint presentation within the first 10 minutes , developing engaging slide show presentation ideas that keep your audience hooked till the end can be a challenge.

This is why we've created this post with 105+ creative presentation ideas to help you put together exciting presentations that don't put your audience to sleep. You can use these presentation ideas for business meetings, webinars, classrooms, online courses, pitch decks and more.

Here are some of the ideas we’re covering:

• Use neon colors and duotones
• Unify transitions horizontally
• Use a monochrome palette
• Tell a personal story
• Use isometric illustrations

In this article, you'll find unique slide examples, templates, designs and more. Put these slide show presentation ideas to practice using our customizable templates and create your own presentation in minutes.

We've also covered 31 creative presentation ideas to delight your audience in the video below.

Here's a short selection of 8 easy-to-edit Presentation templates you can edit, share and download with Visme. View more below:

• Add bright and bold colors to make your presentation stand out and grab your audience's attention. Create a vibrant and dynamic look by using neon colors and duotones.
• Instead of using different transitions for each slide, use the same transition horizontally throughout your presentation. This creates a cohesive and visually pleasing flow.
• To create a sophisticated, minimalist look, limit your color choices to shades of a single color.
• Connect with your audience and make your message more relatable by incorporating personal anecdotes or stories into your presentation.
• Add depth and dimension to your presentation with isometric illustrations, which can be a fun and engaging way to present complex information.
• Sign up for Visme’s presentation software to start applying these creative presentation ideas.

105+ Creative Presentation Ideas

The ideas we've shared cut across various design concepts, industries and use cases. We've also sprinkled presentation design ideas from Visme's template library.  If you're running out of creative steam, you can use these templates to jumpstart your designs.

And if you're running out of time, consider using Visme's AI presentation maker to bring these 100 creative presentation ideas to life. It's a user-friendly tool that effortlessly transforms your ideas into visually stunning presentations.

Now, let's jump into the creative presentation design ideas.

1 Use Neon Colors

Neon colors will give your presentation enough color kick to keep the viewer’s attention. Use neon colors either as the background, as specific elements or as details inside the slides. The trick with neon is to not go overboard with the contrasts. Instead of using a neon rainbow, think more along the lines of neon accents.

2 Be Minimal

Using a minimal design composition is one of the unique presentation ideas. The trick is to have just enough information and visual details for the viewer to feel comfortable seeing the slides. A minimal design can instill calm and awe in your audience when done right. The trick with minimalism is to know when enough is enough, you wouldn’t want to be boring instead of minimal.

RELATED:  20+ Examples of Minimalist Design to Inspire Your Own Creations

3 Use all caps

Another creative presentation idea is using all caps when you feel like the topic of your presentation can be delivered with few words. Using all capitals in your slides will give the message importance. This design might not be suited for a text-heavy presentation but maybe one with an audio narrative that goes along with it or bullet points.

Also, this kind of presentation design is suitable for captivating introduction slide ideas.

Image Source

4 Go vertical

Rectangular presentations are definitely the norm, but with the rise of Instagram Stories, this might be starting to change. This shift introduces a unique opportunity for those looking for ideas for presentation styles that stand out. Now that we can put archived stories into Highlights, why not publish vertical presentations there? Going vertical is just one idea. Along with that, you can add any other design technique.

5  Use duotones

Duotone doesn’t exactly mean “two colors,” it actually means “two tones.” The idea behind this design angle is to use two contrasting tonalities which can have different shades. The difference between duotone and two colors is that it has a more edgy look. Depending on what two tonalities you choose, it can be subtle or very powerful. The photos used in the design also need to be customized to the duotone color you chose.

6 Add a video in different shapes or snippets

Videos can be a powerful tool in your arsenal for engaging your audience during a presentation. Not only do they help to break up the monotony of a lecture-style presentation, but they can also help to explain complex concepts, add visual interest, and evoke emotions.

One way to make your videos stand out is by using different shapes or snippets. Rather than presenting a standard rectangular video, consider incorporating shapes such as circles, triangles or diamonds. These shapes can add a unique and visually appealing element to your presentation.

Another way to incorporate video snippets is by breaking up a longer video into smaller, bite-sized pieces. You can also convert some of your text into a video with HubSpot's Clip Creator if you're short on time. This can be particularly useful if you have a lengthy video that you want to show but don't want to lose your audience's attention. By breaking it up into smaller segments, you can keep your audience engaged and prevent them from losing interest.

Don’t worry about the design complexity. If you create your presentation in Visme, you can resize your videos instantly and turn them into any shape you want.

Hey marketers! Need to create scroll-stopping visual content fast?

• Transform your visual content with Visme’s easy-to-use content creation platform
• Produce beautiful, effective marketing content quickly even without an extensive design skillset
• Inspire your sales team to create their own content with branded templates for easy customization

Sign up. It’s free.

7  Unify transitions horizontally

Unifying the transitions between slides is always a great idea, but doing it horizontally is especially effective. By keeping all the movements going in one direction, it's both easy to follow and will look great. You don’t need to just apply horizontal transitions to the switch between slides, you can also apply animation to the titles and images. As long as they all go in the same direction, you are gold.

Create a slide deck like this in minutes.

• Search for the exact slides you need from a library of 900+ layouts
• Choose a classic or modern style
• Create automatically animated presentations

8  Black and white + spot of bright color

This presentation design idea is highly effective if you're looking for a creative way to present information.

Adding a bright color to a black and white scheme can add just the right amount of attention-grabbing detail to your presentation. Try choosing a powerful color so that it’s really noticeable and pops visually. You can use the color in small amounts or in large sections. Up to you, just remember to maintain a balance throughout.

9 Use a color theme

A cohesive color theme throughout your presentation can engage your audience and create a more visually appealing experience.

To start, consider the overall tone of your presentation and what emotions you want to evoke in your audience. Are you presenting on a serious topic, such as healthcare or finance, where a more subdued color palette may be appropriate?

Or are you presenting on a more lighthearted topic, such as creativity or innovation, where bright and bold colors can help to capture your audience's attention?

Once you have a general idea of your color palette, try to use it consistently throughout your slides. This means using the same background, font and accent colors for headings and graphics– like the presentation template below.

Visme's presentation templates offer a wide range of professionally designed themes with 300+ slides in 20+ different categories, making it the best choice for exploring creative presentation ideas without PowerPoint. You can create visually stunning slides with our carefully curated color schemes and stylish designs.

Read this article about 25 free presentation themes in Visme and find the perfect one.

Visme's presentation maker and branded presentation templates have been helping businesses create impactful presentations while saving them time and money. That's why many businesses choose Visme over other tools.

But don't just take it for word. Here's what one of our satisfied customers has to say about Visme.

"Previously we were using PowerPoint, which is fine, but the interactivity you can get with Visme is so much more robust that we've all steered away from PowerPoint."

"PowerPoint templates are plain and boring, and we want to create more fun and engaging content. Visme has multiple slide templates to choose from, which makes this so much easier."

"I just made a deck recently and it took me about 15-20 minutes. I found a template I really liked and tweaked it and put it in our brand colors. In PowerPoint, it would take anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half."

- Kendra Bradley, Graphic Content Developer at WOW!

10  Add full-screen videos

The use of full-screen video in your slides can have a big impact on your storytelling. There’s a catch though. The wrong video will be detrimental to your message, be mindful of the videos you chose to grace the background of your slides. The video should either tell your story without words or be a complement that won’t interfere. The wrong video will confuse your viewers and it will be hard to get their undivided attention back.

If you’re looking for quick idea inspiration, check out our YouTube video where Mike shares 30 of our favorite presentation ideas at a glance.

11  Use an 80’s visual style

If looking for a unique design style, why not try an 80’s style for a change. Neon graffiti writing, disco balls, and brightly colored shapes might go well with your presentation’s topic. You can use 80’s visuals as small complementary elements or as the entirety of the presentation style. Nevertheless, if your presentation is about something quite serious then maybe you should try another style.

All you have to do is provide a text prompt, choose your preferred template style and the tool will generate text, images and icons and prepare a ready-to-use presentation within seconds. 

The flexibility to customize these presentations in the Visme editor adds the perfect finishing touches to your visual storytelling journey.

12  Go vintage

Another creative presentation idea is the vintage look. This could work really well with a history-themed presentation or anything to do with recuperating old traditions. When we say “vintage” we mean sepia-toned photos, intricate picture frames, bold fonts which look like they came out of old posters.

A vintage color palette is usually pastel turquoise green, ochre yellow and washed out blue and orange. You could consider using vintage mockup sets to create scenes for your slides, or use vintage style fonts, and old photographs as backgrounds.

13  Use a monochrome palette

A monochrome palette is one that maintains a single tonality in different strengths. For example, you can create a presentation in shades of blue, or in shades of orange. Use the palest shade for the background and a stronger shade for the titles and decorative shapes. Try doing it the opposite way as well. You can even use photos with a bit of a filter effect in the chosen color by adding a color filter.

14  Tell a personal story

Telling stories from your own life—whether those stories are deeply moving, humorous tales, or just little snippets that allow someone to look into your history—can be a great way to make a presentation more meaningful.

Colin Stokes uses this to his advantage in his TED talk. He begins by talking about the movies he watches with his daughter and what she likes, and then moving into watching a movie with his son, and wondering how it has affected him, allowing him to move seamlessly into his actual points.

Watch the video below to learn how Colin Stokes did it

Choose a relevant story from your past, and tell it with all the honesty that you can. Your audience will feel that, sympathize, and therefore connect more with your message.

15  Creative photo crops

The photos in your presentations can be cropped hundreds of different ways. From simple circles or rectangles to more elaborate triangles, polygons, letter shapes or even a brushstroke. Analyze the message of your presentation to know which shape to use for the cropping of your photos. You can also create a collage with the shapes as long as they don’t distract from the information being presented.

16 Add fun illustrations

Adding fun illustrations is a great idea to engage your audience during a presentation. They can help break up text-heavy slides, make your presentation more visually attractive and reinforce your message, making it one of the best fun presentation ideas.

Hand-drawn doodles, icons and graphics and animated GIFs are all illustrations you can use. To maximize the visual impact of your illustrations, you can use them in 3D.

With Visme, you can enhance your presentation by adding 3D objects that allow you to customize their colors, size and alignment. Additionally, you can add 3D animated graphics to take things to the next level.

When using illustrations, it's important to remember to use them sparingly to avoid overwhelming your audience. Less is more when it comes to adding graphics to your slides. Remember to match the illustrations with your theme and color scheme to keep things consistent.

17  Thick and bold fonts

Huge chunky fonts are a great way to call attention to titles on slides. You could even try making the letters bleed over the edges or place the words vertical along the side. The best thick and bold fonts are the ones with minimal decorations. Try using fonts that have strong corners or the opposite, extreme rounded terminals. It will also work best if the title is short and sweet.

18 Go with nature

Freshen up your presentation with some natural elements around the edges or as a background. You could use full-screen background photos of leaves or palm fronds coming in from the sides of the slides.

Another presentation idea would be to use nature-related photography along with other design ideas like interesting photo crops. This technique could be used for presentations that relate to nature or natural topics, but also for a home decor proposal or creative direction pitch for a TV ad.

Integrating nature into your slides is a beautiful presentation example of how to connect with your audience on a different level. This technique could be used for presentations about environmental topics or even about home decoration.

19 Use circles

Circles represent wholeness and a natural sense of completion. They can signify eternity and constant movement. They can also make your presentation more friendly and emotionally accessible. You can try using circles as decorative elements or as the shape for cropping images and as backgrounds for illustrations.

20 Add some sparkle (glitter backgrounds)

Give your presentations a little bit of a festive feel with some glittery details. This PowerPoint idea can work great if you are presenting a creative proposal for a fashion label or clothing catalog. It can even work really well for holiday-themed pitches or products. There are different types of glittery graphics you can use, like a glitter texture, a glittering rain or even just a dash of glitter. You can find some great glitter backgrounds and textures over at Freepik .

21 Get crafty (ripped paper details)

Sometimes to tell a story, visual details can really help get a mood across. Ripped paper shapes and edges can give a presentation a special feel, almost as if it was done by hand. This visual technique works for any type of presentation except maybe in a corporate setting. Ripped paper can be found on creative graphics resource sites or you can do it yourself and take a photo.

22 Cut-out paper illustrations

Another crafty idea to design your slides is by using cut paper illustrations. This technique could look really crafty or quite elegant if done well. Cut paper can be used as an elaborate background, as the letters in titles or as decorative elements. There are some great cut paper bundles online to use as PNG files which can be uploaded to the Visme editor.

23  Pathway transitions

Create interesting transitions by designing scenes or pathways instead of just sliding them in one unified direction. By doing this, you can use a storytelling technique that will keep the audience’s attention throughout the presentation and information relay. You can find out how to do it in our free guide to creating captivating presentations .

Create an automatically animated presentation in minutes.

24  use isometric illustrations.

If you are looking for a different way to illustrate your slides, why not consider using isometric illustrations? This style of illustration is great for explaining things that can be separated into parts. The parts can be animated as well. An isometric illustration can work for any kind of presentation, from technology to corporate. It will give your presentation a modern edge and a professional look.

25  Use motion graphics

Motion graphics are a great way to illustrate an idea with animated objects . They don’t tell stories on their own, they support the context and illustrate the content.

For example, if your presentation is about travel, you could have flying airplanes across the slides or bags on a luggage conveyor belt. For something more abstract, you can use moving shapes and add effects to the titles. Your Visme editor has a variety of design tools to help you create all sorts of content with motion graphics.

Here’s what one of Visme’s satisfied customers Jessica L. | Small-Business Owner, has to say about Visme’s presentation tool:

"No need to go back to PowerPoint. Visme makes project presentations easy and fast. Lots of useful templates and excellent graphics. I enjoy the features they continue to add and update often. They make project work easy".

26  Add GIFs to your slides

GIFs can be fun, entertaining and humorous. They can also be informational. GIFs be sourced from sites like Giphy , where you can also create your own! Choosing to include a GIF in your presentation slide or a few different GIFs will depend on what message you want to send with your story. The theme and topic of your presentation will help you decide if you need a clip from a blockbuster movie or a quick representation of the process of your systems.

RELATED:  Everything You Need to Know About Using Cool GIFs in Your Marketing

27  Use quotes between slides

Quotes can be good breathers between a bunch of informative slides. You can either use them to separate ideas inside your presentation or to start new sections of information. It’s important that your quotes represent the topic of your presentation so that they make sense and not confuse the viewer.

28  Start with “once upon a time”

One of the most effective and engaging ways to present a presentation is by incorporating creative storytelling techniques.

If a presentation can be created as a story, then why not go all the way and start the presentation with a classic story opening? Using the “once upon a time” phrase will instantly grab the viewer’s attention because it will be out of the ordinary. Make a slide especially for it with a visual that matches the topic of your presentation.

29  Turn the slides into a scrolling infographic instead of a presentation

To showcase your content in a unique and engaging way, consider using creative slide ideas that break away from the traditional slide-by-slide approach. For instance, you can arrange your slides vertically to create a scrolling infographic instead of a classic slide-by-slide transition presentation.

This innovative format expands the types of presentations you can create, offering a fresh perspective on information delivery.

An added bonus to this presentation style is to add parallax scrolling or interaction animation. As the viewer scrolls down, the information fills each slide progressively. It doesn’t continue until the viewer scrolls again. This technique is best for displaying online slide show presentation ideas.

Create a scrolling presentation in minutes.

30  engage your audience.

What’s one of the best ways to make your presentations more interesting? Make the audience a part of them.

Regardless if you’re presenting in person to a room full of people or via Zoom to viewers around the world, there are a number of techniques to engage your audience with both your content and yourself. The trick is to make them feel connected somehow, like they can relate. You can achieve this with humor, storytelling, asking questions and inviting them to leave comments in the webinar chat window.

Take this speech by Donovan Livingston. He delivers a commencement speech in spoken word poetry, and specifically encourages the audience to take part, saying they should clap, throw their hands in the air, or otherwise participate if they feel so moved. While not seen, several people are heard cheering and clapping throughout the video.

Participation can also be accomplished through things such as games, posing questions or something as simple as asking participants to raise their hands.

31 Use a scrunched paper background

Give your presentation a laid-back and grunge feel by designing it with a scrunched paper background. It can be any kind of paper really, depending on your topic. It could be notebook paper, or printer paper, it could even be recycled paper. Try a few different types of paper until you find the one that suits your story.

32 Add interactive pop-ups

Adding interactive pop-ups is a game-changer when it comes to creative ways of presenting. These pop-ups allow you to go beyond the traditional approach, giving your audience a more dynamic and engaging experience.

Interactive pop-ups can take many forms, from quizzes and polls to clickable infographics and interactive timelines. With Visme, you can access various interactive features that can help you create engaging and effective presentations.

For example, you can create clickable icons or buttons that allow your audience to explore additional information or resources. You can also create interactive timelines that enable your audience to explore different events or milestones.

One of the most powerful interactive features of Visme is the ability to create quizzes and polls. You can make interactive questions and answer options that allow your audience to engage with your presentation on a deeper level.

You can also use this feature to gather feedback from your audience, allowing you to tailor your presentation to their needs and interests.

Watch the video below or read this article to learn how to create an interactive presentation .

33  Use a back-to-school theme

A back-to-school theme can make your presentation look like a lot of fun. This is a great technique for teachers and educators welcoming their students back to a new school year. The background can be a sheet of notebook paper, an open notebook, or a blackboard. The edges could be decorated with pencils and paperclips, maybe an eraser or sharpener. The back-to-school theme has lots of possibilities.

34  Use a billboard-inspired theme

Use billboard mockups to create slides which look like billboards. This could look interesting and quite unique.  You could use the same billboard for all the slides, or different ones for a more varied approach. This technique would work great with a pitch for an election or a local spot in a government office.  

35  Use black-and-white photography

Black and white photography is a classic design technique. They import elegance and sophistication to any design by providing a minimalistic approach to the visuals. The photos can either be desaturated from color photos or given an artistic flair with extra contrast and fewer grey tones.

36  Explain your reasons

What people really want to know is why you’re giving the presentation you’re giving. This is especially true if you’re pitching to investors or potential new clients. When you share your why with the audience using storytelling and body language, you make meaningful connections and lasting relationships

Simon Sinek explains quite well why this is so important—the greatest leaders, the ones who inspire the most people, understand why they do the things they do, rather than just what or how.

When it comes to explaining your reasons, one tool that can significantly improve your presentations is Visme's AI writer . This advanced feature helps you write your presentation copy, break down complex ideas and edit or improve your existing words. With Visme's AI writer, you can make sure your "why" is clear and easy to understand alongside your visuals.

37  Add an audio narrative

Your presentation doesn’t need to be silent, especially if you won’t be standing by it to tell the story yourself. Adding an audio narrative can turn a viewable presentation into an experience. You can either set it up as a video that runs on its own and the viewer looks and listens, or it can be triggered by arrows that are clicked on.

RELATED:  How to Create a Narrated Presentation With Voice Over Using Visme

38 Follow a space theme with photography

Most of the photos from Nasa are labeled as public domain. Meaning that you can give your presentation a space theme quite easily. Choose images of astronauts in space or more abstract and colorful images like distant galaxies and nebulas. The latter can make great backgrounds behind content without the topic necessarily being about space.

39 Do a space theme with illustration

An illustrated space theme can be either colorful and whimsical or sober and elegant. By choosing the style of illustration you use, you can either use this technique for presentations related to children or scientists. Cartoon astronauts can be lots of fun, line illustration planets can be educational and data-driven drawings can be informational.

40  Include music

Sometimes, when listening to someone talk for long periods of time, it helps to have something else to draw your attention. While images are great, including music can really help stimulate an audience and set the mood.

Dean Burnett talks about why this happens: “[Music] provides non-invasive noise and pleasurable feelings, to effectively neutralize the unconscious attention system’s ability to distract us.” Essentially, music is entertaining enough that, when in the background, can keep us focused on otherwise un-entertaining things.

Take, for example, this valedictorian’s speech. While peppered with humor and stories of his time through high school, he uses background music to help keep people’s attention—in fact, this is specifically stated to be his reason for including music, humorously quipping about giving the audience something to listen to while they “zone out” of his speech.

Whether incorporated into individual slides, in a video, done live, or with a music-playing device nearby, this creative presentation idea can be a great way to enhance the quality of your speech or talk.

41  Graffiti photography backgrounds and details

Using colorful backgrounds like photos of urban graffiti can give your presentation a bit of an edge. There are lots of free photographs of graffiti on sites like Unsplash which you can use straight away. Apart from graffiti murals, you can also incorporate graffiti letterings in your titles and quotes. You can find graffiti style fonts online quite easily.

42  Stop-motion

The stop-motion technique can take time but it can also make your presentation unforgettable. There are lots of ways to use stop-motion, either with characters doing actions or objects that move around and create a scene. Stop-motion can also be used to create titles that move into place. What the title is written with can be anything, from toys to plants. The theme and topic of your presentation will ultimately be the driving point to what kind of stop-motion can be used. But be sure that it works from educational to promotional to corporate.

43  Claymation

Very similar to stop-motion, claymation is the animation of things created with clay or play-doh. Anything can be created with clay, so the possibilities really are endless about what can be achieved. This technique really does take a lot of time, you can source it out to a professional or buy some already created footage. The claymation can be just a decorative element in the background or it could also be the center of the presentation.

44  Color blocking

The color blocking technique is another creative presentation idea that entails using color in large sections and in contrasting tones. The idea is that the color blocks will be strong and colorful. The color blocks can either be the shapes that determine where the information goes or just a way to separate the slides in specific sections.

Any type of presentation can benefit from color blocking. Just make sure you use colors that go together and don’t clash. Explore this technique for different presentation slide ideas, especially when aiming for a bold and visually striking effect. Take a look at this sponsorship deck and how it uses bright and bold color blocking techniques.

45  Get surreal

Surrealism is an avant-garde movement from the 20th century which was meant to tap into subconscious creativity. This might not be the kind of design technique for any sort of presentation but it can work for one that is about art, or literature or other creative outlets. There are plenty of surrealist artworks in the public domain sector or the Metropolitan Museum of Art. These can be used as subtle backgrounds or visual complements to the text.

Designing a presentation for an organization requires input from different stakeholders. However, when collaborating with others on a presentation design, keeping track of all the moving parts can be difficult.

That's where Visme's workflow management feature comes in. It helps organize roles, tasks, progress, deadlines and corrections all in one place to make your presentation design process efficient and smooth.

46  Polaroids

Polaroids, often a photography favorite, can inspire creative photography presentation ideas. The original Polaroids from the 70’s could be used as vintage polaroids that have been kept in a box for years. The newest Instamatic photographs, which are the new kind of polaroids, can be used for a fun way to show photos and visuals in presentation slides. You could either use one polaroid per slide or a collection of polaroids on a table or corkboard.

There are many topics that can work with Polaroid photography backgrounds and details in your slide show presentation ideas.

47  Use a Handwriting Font

Fonts come in all shapes and sizes, including lots of handwriting fonts. Handwritten fonts can be used for any type of presentation as long as the style matches the topic of the information. There are kid-style handwriting, calligraphy style handwriting, hand lettering, and novelty fonts as well. The options are wide and varied for this design technique. Creative Bloq has a great collection of handwritten fonts.

48  Use a geometric background

A geometric background can look really nice on any presentation. Geometric backgrounds can be tiled polygons or more abstract compositions of different size polygons. The decision to choose between tiled shapes and more creative compositions will depend on your creative angle and disposition. You can use these types of designs with any colors, so you can match the theme or your brand.

49 Coffee style design

Using a coffee-style design can work for any PowerPoint presentation idea, from office-related topics to digital nomads to anything or anyone who loves coffee. If the background is subtle, it can fit a more serious topic or data report. It can make a boring presentation just a bit more visually entertaining than the rest. Of course, it can also be perfect for a small coffee brewer pitching their company to investors.

50  Include memes

You’ve seen them everywhere by this point. You might be pretty sick of them. However, that doesn’t mean memes can’t be useful—in fact, using a couple strategically can surprise the audience and make them laugh.

The presentation " Memes, Memes Everywhere" focuses on, unsurprisingly, memes, and explains their purpose while using examples on every slide, which help support their points and add some humor to a very text-heavy presentation.

Choosing relevant memes and using them sparingly can really help add some personality to your presentation, without distracting from the work.

RELATED: 85+ Best Free Presentation Templates

51  Polka dots

Using a polka-dot background is suitable for various types of presentations. It can give your presentation a whimsical look or simply give it a subtle texture. The polka dots could be small and soft or big and punchy. A strong polka-dot background can work great in a creative setting or even boring data analysis. The style of polka dots will depend on the general topic of your presentation. You can use the polka-dot design as a full background or as a decorative section on the slide.

52  Metaphors

Visual metaphors can be useful in a similar manner; they can spice up your presentation, illustrate your point, and make your work far more entertaining. James Geary speaks about just how important metaphors are.

His presentation provides several examples of metaphors--such as the phrase “some jobs are jails”--and explains just how hard it is to ignore the lasting power of a well-used metaphor. Because of the connotations a metaphor can bring to the table, their use is an excellent way to imbue added meaning to your words.

53  Use timelines in your slides

Timelines can be used in lots of different ways inside a PowerPoint presentation, and the ideas are limitless. A timeline can either be inside one slide, or it can be connected between various slides. You can make a timeline with icons, connected shapes, or an inclined line. The timeline can be a visual way of explaining a chronological event or a plan of action that needs to be taken care of. Make sure the timeline fits the rest of the theme.

54  Use a comic book style

Comic books are a source of inspiration for many people. The visual aspect of a comic style composition can really make your presentation shine. There are a few ways you can use this technique. You could set up the slides as if they were snippets of a comic book, place the text in speech and thought bubbles and apply a background with a pointillist texture. If using characters, make sure the characters fit the theme of your presentation. For a perfect fit, hire a designer to create a comic book presentation just for your company.

55  Use a manga style

Looking for creative PowerPoint slide ideas that stand out? Consider taking inspiration from the Japanese art of Manga. Manga can give your presentation a distinct and eye-catching look, much like comic books.

It isn’t as versatile as a comic book because it has a more specific look, so it might not work for all topics. It can work for more creative outlets like fashion, art, and photography. Manga has a specific style for the atmosphere around the unique characters as well. They are more common in black and white and look very photographic.

56  Use psychedelic visuals

Psychedelia was a big part of the design world in the 60’s and 70’s. Music and creative event posters were so intricate and colorful that they took an important place in the design history books. This design style can be used for a unique visual approach in your presentations. Just like many other techniques we have mentioned, they can be used as a background in slides or as decorative elements. The swirly shapes and contrasting colors can call attention to the viewer in a positive way.

Create professional and engaging presentations online!

• Choose from hundreds of fully designed templates
• Align colors, fonts and images with your brand
• Add custom charts, timelines, icons, animations and more

57  Use neon lights

Neon lights are a great way to give your presentation some life when it’s otherwise visually bland. There are plenty of neon light fonts available online to choose from, from classic style neon tubing on a wall to a neon style given to a font to make it look like neon. Presentations of any topic can be given an additional visual with a bit of neon brightness.

58  Cinemagraph backgrounds

A cinemagraph is like a GIF loaded with elegance. The idea behind a cinemagraph is a photo with a moving section which makes it look cinematic. This kind of background can keep your viewers happily hypnotized while listening to your audio narrative or keep them on the slide longer to truly grasp the information being given. There are cinemagraphs available for all sorts of themes and topics. You can definitely find one that suits your needs.

59  Full-screen video backgrounds

A full-screen background can be really appealing. But just like other design ideas, the video you choose needs to match the theme and topic of your presentation. Your best bet is to have a video which is directly related to what your presentation is about. Videos can be created especially for your purpose, sourced with permission from YouTube or bought from a stock video site.

60  Visualize data

Staring at a large amount of numbers on screen can be overwhelming for most people, even if the realities of those numbers enforce your point. What’s the best way to avoid scaring your crowd? Put the data into easily understandable visualizations. This especially helpful when customizing sales, business or consultant presentation template . 

If you want to take this a step further, you can use illustrations or create infographics to make these data visualizations even more engaging.

61  Use a wild west theme

The wild west is not a very versatile theme but can work for a history project or a proposal for a wild west themed party or event. What entails a wild west theme? Brown sandy tones, horses, cowboys, and tumbleweeds. If the full-on wild west theme is too much, you can also take a cue from the era and be inspired by the color scheme. Another approach would be to use photography from the actual west of the United States, mountains and deserts and so on.

62 Use mind maps

Mind maps are great visual tools for explaining concepts easily. By including mind maps in your slides, you can relay complicated information visually and creatively. There are eight types of mind maps, the most common being bubble maps, the tree map, and flow map. Each one has a different purpose and you can learn all about this in our guide about mind maps in the Visual Learning Center.

63  Use interactive geographic maps

The difference between a static map and an interactive map will define how much attention your slides get. Regions can switch colors according to a change in data over time, making the map more into a chart. With Visme, you can make your maps interactive with live data . All you need to do is sync your data from a Google Sheets file and when your presentation is published online, your map will always be synchronized to that data.

Want to create your own interactive map?

• Create a color-coded map to visualize geographical data
• Choose either the entire world map, a continent or a country
• Enable feature to have data values appear on hover

64  Color contrasts

Using contrasting colors in your slides will make the information pop out of the screen in a positive way. The trick to using contrasting colors is to know how colors match together. Contrasting doesn’t mean they need to clash. Try using a color palette generator like Adobe Color to find great palettes that will make this technique your new best friend. You can learn more about how color works in our guide about color perception in the Visme Learning Center.

65  Live data graphs

Adding live data to a presentation can turn your slides into evergreen content in a flash. You can use any type of chart and populate it with live data such as bar graphs, line graphs, pie graphs, and more. You can add live data graphs to one or two slides in your presentation or have a series of them. Creating a live data graph is easy with the Visme editor.

66  Color fade transitions

Transitions come in lots of different styles. We have mentioned horizontal transitions, animated transitions, and pathway transitions. This particular technique involves color as the ruling factor.

A color-fade transition makes each slide connected to each other through color. This can be achieved with gradients, color blocks, or colored photo filters. Make your PowerPoint presentation ideas stand out with color fade transitions.

67  “Grow” your presentation so it looks like one animated slide

This creative PowerPoint idea is quite interesting as it really only uses one slide that grows upon itself. The practical way to do this is to create the final slide with all the parts and information set up like a finished puzzle. Once you have the completed slide, duplicate it as many times as you need and systematically take off a bit of information until you’ve reached the first title slide. Once you have all the slides, make sure they are in order before downloading the entire thing.

RELATED:  A Non-Designer’s Guide to Creating Memorable Visual Presentations [Free E-Book]

68  Use humor

Want a great way to connect with your audience and make a memorable, more engaging presentation? Be funny. When used strategically, this is a great way to capture attention. In fact, infusing humor into your talk is one of the most effective fun presentation ideas you can use.

Morgan Spurlock makes wonderful use of this in his TED talk. For example, in one of his earliest statements, he offered individuals the opportunity to buy the rights to name his TED talk—which he refers to again at the end, where he reveals the title. He peppers the entire presentation with humorous commentary that nonetheless supports his point.

Create relevant jokes or find a way to bring out the humor in your subject, and your audience will be much more engaged and more likely to remember your words.

69  Tree diagram transitions

A tree diagram is one of the eight thinking maps which help visualize idea and concepts. The purpose of a tree diagram is to classify and organize information. This map can help build a presentation by making sure each slide is a continuation of the one before. They might need to be grouped into sections so that all the information is relayed easily.

Want to create your own tree diagram?

• Get a head start with pre-made flowchart blocks
• Easily snap lines and objects together
• Dozens of shapes and lines styles to choose from

70  Journal style (with hand-drawn illustrations on the margins)

One creative presentation idea is to make your talk just a little bit different than the rest is to use a journal style. The general visual idea for this technique is to make your slides look like the pages of a journal. The style of the journal will depend on what your presentation topic is. It can be a whimsical bullet journal or an intricate botany journal. You could even consider handwriting on paper as a background.

71  Ink splatters

Use ink splatters to decorate your slides any way you like. They can be big and impressive behind the content, or they can be small and subtle like drops from a pen. An ink splatter can give your presentation a bit of an artistic flair and if done right, can make your slides look elegant and clean. Any style of presentation can benefit from some ink splatters as a decorative element.

If you're looking for fresh presentation slide ideas, why not experiment with ink splatters and see how they can enhance your next presentation?

72  Passport with stamps

Using travel stamps as a decorative element can work for a presentation with a travel-theme or a creative design proposal for a department store or airport mall. The stamps can be used as a background on a passport page or on their own around the content. A photo of a real passport page can be used for this technique but there are plenty of graphics available in this style on sites like Freepik .

73  Express your emotions

We can sometimes be afraid of expressing how we feel, even to those we’re close to, much less in front of a crowd. However, showing them makes your words more authentic and can generate compassion or excitement in your audience.

Take this TED talk by Thordis Elva and Tom Stranger , for example. While the two talk about their experiences, their voices break and crack. The emotional turmoil they went through is clearly heard, and viewers can clearly understand their pain.

This can take some getting used to, and some courage. However, the results are well worth the effort.

74  Use a video game theme

Video games come in all shapes and sizes. From kids' games to arcade games to car games. Each one has their own style, just like presentations do. If you think a video game visual style is good for your project, consider all the different kinds until you find the one that fits best. You can use game screenshots as backgrounds or infuse the entire design of the presentation with the video game style you chose.

75  Use postcards

One of the least-used creative presentation ideas is to turn your content inside slides into postcards which have been sent from around the world. They can be new postcards which could be used from either front or back sides. The back part would make a great text block for the content you need to display, the photo side can be on the sides or as a background. This design technique can work for presentations about literature, family connections, history or travel. There are postcard templates available on sites like Creative Market .

76  Incorporate robots in the design

Using robots in your slides can be a creative approach to visually elevate your presentation. There are different styles of robots you can add to your presentation design; realistic photography of anamorphic robots, cute illustrated robots, or robotic parts from factories. These visuals might only apply for technology-themed presentations or about robots themselves. Cute illustrations of robots can be great backgrounds for whimsical topics or other styles of storytelling presentations.

77  Chalk on blackboard

Looking for creative slides presentation ideas? Consider using a chalkboard design to add a unique and nostalgic touch to your presentation.

Writing on a chalkboard is not limited to a school setting or a bar menu. These two might be the most common yet they are not the only possibilities for using chalk on a blackboard. A good handwriting font is the best companion to a chalkboard design. Some of these fonts are already available with a chalky texture and others might need some professional tweaking to get the right texture.

78  Get inspired by a specific location

Even if the PowerPoint presentation ideas you are designing are not about a specific place in the world, you can be inspired by one to set up the color scheme and feel of the slides. For example, if you get inspired by Greece, you can use white and light blue hues or even photos of Greek islands. If you get inspired by Brazil, you can use photos of the beach, the texture of the boardwalk tiles or green, blue, and yellow color schemes.

79  Use props

Using props can quickly turn a run-of-the-mill presentation into a unique, interactive experience. Kenny Nguyen demonstrates this well. In his talk he often refers to the “sword of yes” and “shield of no.” Naturally he picks up a sword and shield from the table to help demonstrate his points.

Choosing similar props can help you really illustrate your points—and make it that much more entertaining, too.

80  Use hashtags as titles

In the age of social media, hashtags are used every day. They appear regularly on social media, in spoken and written conversations, and of course in content marketing. Why not include some hashtags as titles? This technique will work great in a presentation for a social media content management pitch, or an in an influencer marketing strategy. On another note, hashtag titles can even be used for any type of presentation geared at the digital generation.

81  Black background, white letters, and color accents

When you use a black background, the colors that you place on top will usually look brighter than if they were on a white background. When creating this kind of color palette, make sure the colors you use don’t clash with each other or with the black. Along with the bright colors, make sure you use white to make the composition pop! Neon colors or pastel tones are what will work best.

82  Vintage film edges

Even though we are used to taking photos with our phones, the classic nostalgia of film is still prevalent in the world of visuals and design. The graphic representation of a film negative is as recognizable as an envelope representing an email. Use a vintage film edge along the horizontal edges of your slides to give your visuals a cinematic feel. Even better if you make the edges animated so that it looks like it’s rolling along on a projector.

83 Adult coloring book inspired design

Using a coloring book design can be really creative. Practically anything can be turned into a coloring book style illustration. A great way to use this technique is to have the first slide with the un-colored illustration and then progressively color in the illustration as the slides progress. Furthermore, if the illustration is depictive of the information, the visuals can be even more engaging.

84  Stripes

A stripes design is as classic as it gets. From pinstripes to artistic colorful lines, you can use them as a subtle background or a powerful striped theme intertwined with text boxes. Stripes are the kind of design technique that can work for any type of presentation, from corporate to educational.

85  Make each slide look like a social media post

Just like postcards and polaroids, you could try a creative approach and use social media templates to put the content in. The most notorious social media visual channel is Instagram. It has been known to inspire offline events as well. Make your slides look like social media posts or social media pages. For this technique, you can either use screenshots or templates.

86  Ink in water

Dropping ink in water creates beautiful colorful bubbly designs which can be photographed at high speed. These images can be used as backgrounds for any type of creative theme presentations. Choose the color and thickness of the ink design to match the theme of your presentation. There are also animated versions of this effect which can be bought like video stock.

87  Lego bricks

Use lego bricks as inspiration to fill your presentation slides with color and fun. Use the bricks to create slide frames, letters or even charts. The best approach to a lego inspired presentation is to be creative. There are lots of things you can do with lego, you could go as far as using the legos to write the titles of the slides. Don’t use the Lego logo though unless you are specifically designing a presentation about lego.

88  Use classic storytelling techniques

A presentation is, in a way, like a story—you’re talking about your chosen subject and leading viewers on a journey to discover what that subject means. Moreover, stories hold an intrinsic interest for us. Therefore, you can easily use several storytelling techniques to help improve your presentation.

Alex Blinkoff  goes into this in great detail, examining things such as “The Hero’s Journey” and provides several examples of ways to use storytelling techniques in your presentations. Check them out, and decide what might work best for your subject.

Click on image to view the interactive slide show created with Visme

89  Jigsaw puzzles

Pieces of a jigsaw puzzle can be used to make charts, infographic diagrams, or interlocking frames. The idea behind puzzle pieces is that things come together to form a whole and this concept can be used for any slide and any kind of presentation. Make sure to use a suitable color palette that matches your theme and the rest of the presentation.

90  Headlines coming in animated on boats/trains/airplane

Headlines or titles can be given a life of their own inside the slides. One interesting and creative approach would be to make the titles enter the slide on top of some kind of vehicle. The vehicle could be anything, from a train to a boat, to an airplane. Depending on the type of vehicle, this animated technique can be used for child-themed topics, transportation themes, travel ideas, or even about a corporate sales report.

91  Use a camouflage design

Camo doesn’t necessarily need to convey a sense of military, although it does carry a strong connection. Thankfully, camouflage comes in different styles, from jungle greens to desert browns. Other out of the box camouflage styles are the ones where the colors are completely off the charts, like pinks and blues. Camouflage designs are better used as backgrounds or small subtle sections.

92  Use unique novelty fonts for headers

There are so many novelty fonts to choose from out there these days! Using a unique novelty font for the titles and headers is a great way to add some visual pizzazz to your slides. Try looking for some really special fonts that carry personality. Once you have selected the font, add some color and texture to make it look even better.

93  Use a city skyline

Using a background of a city skyline can work great for a presentation related to business or corporate topics. It can also be perfect for an urban travel related theme or educational presentation. You can choose to use photography as a background or with the buildings cut out from the sky. Another choice is to find an illustrated city skyline and use it as a border on the slides.

94  Use a connected dots background

One of the design trends of the last few years is the connected dots visual. It’s used on websites and on printed flyers. It’s so versatile that it can be added to any kind of presentation in a heartbeat. The lines can be short or long between the dots and the composition can be tight or spread out. You can find connected dot visuals easily on sites like Freepik, in lots of different colors. If you can manage vector graphics , you can also change the composition of the dots quite easily yourself.

95  Use a bokeh background

Bokeh is a photography and light technique which turns dots of light into bright shiny spheres. With a bit of creativity, the lights can be turned into shapes, like hearts or stars. This design style is great for backgrounds since it’s mostly abstract. It works best as a complement to the content instead of an important visual aspect. You can find bokeh backgrounds in stock photo sites or make it yourself.

96  Use watercolor designs

The use of watercolor designs is an easy way of infusing some lively color into a presentation. Watercolors can be a splash on the background, shapes around the content, or colorful strokes intertwined with text boxes. Depending on the color of the paint used, the watercolor technique can be used for any type of presentation. A soft watercolor brushed background can work for a feminine theme and a deep intense splash can add visual creativity to an otherwise boring corporate presentation.

Just like watercolor graphics, paint can add a dose of creativity to any presentation. Different to watercolors though, paint is more intense. Paint based graphics come in all shapes and sizes, from thick brush strokes to paint drips. Digital paint compositions can also make great backgrounds for colorful and creative presentations.

98  Use bright fun colors

Why create a bland presentation when you can make it fun and colorful instead? Creative color palettes can include up to six different colors which look great together. Use shapes, cut-outs, color blocks, swashes, anything your heart desires. This technique is for letting go and being creatively free with color. Just make sure the colors go together by trying out some palettes first.

99  Use arrow graphics

Arrows symbolize direction. They can be a great addition to your charts, infographic visuals and slide sections. You could even do the entire presentation using arrows. According to their size, color, and thickness, they have different temperaments. Look for different styles of arrows and see if they fit your topic and theme. Freepik has some great arrow visuals and the Visme editor also has arrow icons and infographic visuals.

100  Use electronic visuals

Another great idea for a background visual is the inside of a computer system. The intricate details of a motherboard or a close up of a memory chip can make a great visual impact. Apart from using an electronic background image, little pieces of electronic devices can be placed around the slide as decoration. This technique is generally limited to electronic or computer theme topics.

101  Metaphors

Visual metaphors can be useful in a similar manner. They can spice up your presentation, illustrate your point, and make your work far more entertaining. James Geary speaks about just how important metaphors are.

102  Keep it feminine

A feminine style design can work for your presentation if your company makes products for women or if your targeted audience is women. By feminine design, we mean light and soft colors, subtle shapes and a general airy feeling to the composition. Feminine design can be minimal but it can also be decadent and full of style. Whichever you chose, make sure it fits with your audience.

103  Go futuristic

A futuristic style can fit any theme as long as the concept of the future depicted, fits the topic of the presentation. Futuristic design can be of many different styles; from spaceship driving controls to cosmos related atmospheres, to flying cars, and artificial intelligence. Even color palettes can look futuristic if you add some metallic tones.

104  Add a music background

A music soundtrack can be added to any presentation that doesn’t have any other sort of audio already. The best music for a presentation is one without lyrics, in other words, an instrumental track. A good track will accompany the content in a positive way and not interfere with the message. You can find audio tracks easily online.

105  Communicate with images

A picture can speak a thousand words. Naturally, they can be used to communicate concepts that, for the sake of space or time, you might not be able to include in the presentation itself. This slide deck  uses this strategy to its advantage.

The presentation includes many images as backgrounds and minimal text. The images used always either enhance what’s being said or, in some cases, provide the answer for viewers. For example, the second slide states “The Landscape Today,” and includes a bleak background with a broken, tilted picture frame, emphasizing the idea that the following slides (which describe the landscape) offer some pretty disheartening information.

Using images in a related fashion can help express your views and emphasize your message.

Harness the power of Visme's AI image edit tools in your toolkit. These advanced yet easy-to-use tools let you effortlessly edit, touch up, unblur and upscale your images using simple prompts. It's an incredibly convenient way to add extra polish and clarity to your pictures to make your presentations more impactful.

106  Include artsy data visualization

Data visualization is a way of showing data and information in a way that is visually expressive. Creative data analysts can make some really beautiful creations and you can hire them to make them for you. If you haven’t seen any creative data visualizations, take a look at our collection of the best of 2018 and get inspired. You can either make the whole presentation into a data viz or add them to some of the slides.

By Beyond Words Studio

RELATED:  The 25 Best Data Visualizations of 2018

107  Stay branded

This creative tip is a simple yet effective way to spark good presentation ideas. When creating your presentation, do your best to stay on brand. This, of course, will work only if you are creating a presentation for your own brand. If creating one for a client, then you should stay on brand with their own brand style guide. This means only use the brand colors and fonts, use photos, textures, and shapes that match the brand.

Use Visme's brand design tool to ensure your presentations perfectly reflect your brand personality. Just copy and paste your website URL, and the tool will automatically extract your branding assets, such as brand colors, brand fonts and company logo.

108 Ask questions

A great tip to make your PowerPoint presentations ideas more interactive is to ask questions from your audience.  Like the example below, you can display only your question on the slide. Once the audience has pitched in their opinions and answers, you can click to reveal the actual answer. You can enable this type of interactivity on click when making a presentation in Visme .

109 Replace boring bullet points with visuals

While adding bullet points in your slides might be better than adding walls of text, they're still not the most effective way to get your message across and engage your audience. Take things up a notch and replace boring bullets with visuals, such as photos and even icons. Here's an example of how you can use icons to add a creative twist to the plain ol' bullet points.

110 Share your slide deck

Downloading your slide deck and presenting in front of an audience is not the only way to use your presentation. Make the most of your slides by sharing your presentation online.

Add interactive elements, such as clickable buttons, links, hover effects, popups, embedded videos and more so your audience can view and engage with your slides on their own.

If you've created your presentation in Visme, you can share your presentation publicly or privately using a link, or embed it anywhere you like.

Start Using These Creative Presentation Ideas

Ready to start creating your own presentation after over 100 pieces of inspiration? Choose your favorite creative presentation ideas and incorporate them into your own presentation.

You can add interactivity, animation, visuals and all kinds of creative elements to your presentations when you design them in Visme's online presentation maker. With our Dynamic Field feature , you can automatically update key information in real-time across all your slides or multiple projects. Customize existing dynamic fields or create new ones and format them to maintain design consistency.

Create a free account with Visme to start building a presentation your audience will love.

Design a beautiful and engaging presentation with Visme

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About the Author

Orana is a multi-faceted creative. She is a content writer, artist, and designer. She travels the world with her family and is currently in Istanbul. Find out more about her work at oranavelarde.com

A guide to choosing the perfect visual photo for each presentation slide

5 steps to choose the perfect visual for your presentation.

The images should not be the protagonists of our speech but should illustrate the ideas that we are exposing. They must act as visual reinforcement and decoration for our presentation.

The difficulty is that, generally, the photos should not represent objects or people but rather abstract concepts such as effort, creativity, challenge, despair, or fear. And getting a good image that illustrates such concepts is not easy, especially if you want to make your presentations stand out.

There are several places where we can search for images, but often the problem is that we have no idea what photo we want to search for. And a direct search on Google Images for the concept itself doesn’t always yield a photo that exactly matches the idea we want to convey.

So, how can we know which photo to look for? To find or design the ideal photo for each slide, I follow the following 5 steps:

How to choose the perfect presentation photos

1. define the concept well.

It seems obvious, but that implies being clear about the message (in the singular) that we want to convey on each slide. And that doesn’t always happen. Sometimes the slides are not conceived as micro messages but as sections of a written report. One slide for the introduction, another to talk about the opportunities, another to present the sales data, and I wonder, can’t you get more than one sales message? So, why not separate them into more than one slide? How can we illustrate with an image more than one message at the same time? If we want to do it effectively, it simply cannot be done. So divide and conquer. When learning how to choose the perfect presentation photos, you might also want to explore an  AI presentation maker  for a more streamlined and efficient approach.

2. Choose the message

Once we are clear about the concept, we must think about what message we want the image to convey. It is possible to transmit different messages about the same concept, so we must be clear about which one we are interested in. If we talk about trust, this can be trust towards others or towards ourselves. In addition, we can speak positively about trust or give the message of not trusting anyone. Obviously, in each case, a different image will suit us. Suppose that, in our example, we want to convey the message that, in order to overcome the challenges we encounter in life, we must trust ourselves.

3. Brainstorming

Once the concept and the message are clear, we must carry out a

Brainstorming answers the following question:

• What things do we associate with that concept?
• What adjectives? 
• What situations? 
• What expressions are in our vocabulary?
• Which characters?

Let’s make a list following our example: What do we associate with self-confidence to overcome challenges?

People who like challenges and adventures

• A tightrope walker on a tightrope without a net
• A tamer puts his head in a lion’s mouth.
• A skier is skiing in the middle of an avalanche.

Athletes who win everything by being very confident in their game

• A tennis player hits the ball from behind.
• A footballer is about to take a penalty.

Other trades that require self-confidence

• A surgeon wielding a scalpel
• A character who must overcome the adversities that life has imposed on him

I could go on, but we already have a few ideas to start looking for the type of photography that can best 

illustrate our concept in the case at hand.

4. Go for the photo

Once you have a few ideas, it’s time to find or create the perfect photo. You can search for relevant images using keywords, browse through proposal PowerPoint templates , or even consider creating your own visuals. The choice depends on your creativity, resources, time constraints, and personal preferences.

By incorporating proposal PowerPoint templates, you can enhance your presentation’s visual appeal and structure while still ensuring the selection of the right visual photo for each slide.

5. Take into account the common scope of the target audience

All the ideas that have come out are valid. However, they have been designed without taking into account who the presentation should be addressed to.

When I analyse the type of audience that I will have in front of me, we must look at the elements that the public has in common: they belong to the same company, they all have the same training, they all live in the same city, and they are the same age. That homogenising aspect of the public will be their common area.

Can we find any other examples of our concept and message that are in the common realm of our audience?

Suppose we have to make a presentation for the police academy.

What situations in the police field can we relate to the message of our slide about self-confidence when facing challenges?

• A policeman in front of a group of protesters
• A policeman who must defuse a bomb must choose the red wire or the blue wire.
• A policeman who must regulate traffic

Surely, any of these will serve to empathise with the audience much more than any of the others.

Main takeaways

Choosing the perfect visual photo for each slide in a presentation requires careful consideration and attention to detail. The images should not overshadow the main message, but rather serve as visual reinforcement and decoration. To achieve this, it is important to define the concept well and be clear about the specific message to be conveyed on each slide.

Brainstorming various associations, adjectives, situations, and characters related to the concept can generate ideas for suitable images. Once the ideas are generated, it is time to search for or create the perfect photo, using keywords, PowerPoint templates , or original visuals. Lastly, considering the common scope of the target audience is essential.

Understanding the shared characteristics of the audience can help identify additional examples or situations that resonate with them, resulting in a more impactful presentation. By following these steps, one can select visual photos that effectively illustrate and enhance the overall message of each slide.

Featured image: R-GraphicsDesign/ Motion Array

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10+ Best Photography Presentation Templates

Showcase your photographic work beautifully with our photography presentation templates. These tools provide a range of visually engaging designs that can enhance the impact of your photography presentations.

Cygni Photography PowerPoint Template

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FAQs About Photography Presentation Templates

What are photography presentation templates.

Photography Presentation Templates are pre-designed formats or layouts intended for presentations that revolve around photography. These templates can be used by photographers, photo studios, or anyone dealing with a presentation that includes photographic content. They are designed to showcase photographs in the best possible way, accentuating details and helping to convey apparent messages.

These templates come in various designs and formats and are typically editable, allowing users to customize them to suit their specific needs. As such, users can adjust the templates by incorporating their images, changing the color schemes, adjusting fonts, etc., to reach their desired aesthetic.

What Software is needed to use Photography Presentation Templates?

There are various software applications compatible with Photography Presentation Templates. Commonly used ones include Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Slides, Adobe InDesign, and many other presentation design applications available in the market. The software required for a specific template depends primarily on the template's format or file type.

It's essential to ensure the software installed aligns with your template for ease of use and full customization capabilities. Some software applications have more advanced customization options compared to others, depending on the sophistication of the presentation required.

How do Photography Presentation Templates enhance presentations?

Photography Presentation Templates are purposely designed to enhance the visual appeal of presentations. They organize and display photographs professionally, thereby enhancing the look and feel of the presentation. The best templates will balance text and graphics perfectly, maintaining audience engagement and attention.

Beyond aesthetics, templates streamline the process of creating presentations. They save time and effort that would otherwise be spent designing every slide from scratch. Moreover, they create a consistency that lets the presenter focus on the presentation content, rather than worrying about the layout or design.

Can Photography Presentation Templates be customized?

Yes, most photography presentation templates are customizable. They come with editable elements, allowing you to incorporate your creativity and preferences into the presentation. The degree of customization will depend on the specific template and the software used. For example, one can adjust elements like color, fonts, layouts, and inclusion of personal photos or logos.

However, it's good to note that while templates are customizable, the extent of the modifications that can be carried out could be constrained by the original design. Therefore, it’s advisable to select a template that closely aligns with your envisaged presentation style.

Where can I find Photography Presentation Templates?

The internet is a vast marketplace for presentation templates. Websites such as Envato Elements, Canva, GraphicRiver, SlideModel, etc., offer a plethora of photography presentation templates. In purchasing or using free templates, be sure to comply with copyright regulations stipulated by the website or the template designer.

Another method is through software applications like PowerPoint or Google Slides, which often have a selection of templates within the program, some of which are suitable for photography presentations. Be sure that the templates suit your presentation needs before choosing and customizing them.

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Blog Beginner Guides 8 Types of Presentations You Should Know [+Examples & Tips]

8 Types of Presentations You Should Know [+Examples & Tips]

Written by: Krystle Wong Aug 11, 2023

From persuasive pitches that influence opinions to instructional demonstrations that teach skills, the different types of presentations serve a unique purpose, tailored to specific objectives and audiences.

Presentations that are tailored to its objectives and audiences are more engaging and memorable. They capture attention, maintain interest and leave a lasting impression. 

Don’t worry if you’re no designer —  Whether you need data-driven visuals, persuasive graphics or engaging design elements, Venngage can empower you to craft presentations that stand out and effectively convey your message.

Venngage’s intuitive drag-and-drop interface, extensive presentation template library and customizable design options make it a valuable tool for creating slides that align with your specific goals and target audience. 

Click to jump ahead:

8 Different types of presentations every presenter must know

How do i choose the right type of presentation for my topic or audience, types of presentation faq, 5 steps to create a presentation with venngage .

When it comes to presentations, versatility is the name of the game. Having a variety of presentation styles up your sleeve can make a world of difference in keeping your audience engaged. Here are 8 essential presentation types that every presenter should be well-acquainted with:

1. Informative presentation

Ever sat through a presentation that left you feeling enlightened? That’s the power of an informative presentation. 

This presentation style is all about sharing knowledge and shedding light on a particular topic. Whether you’re diving into the depths of quantum physics or explaining the intricacies of the latest social media trends, informative presentations aim to increase the audience’s understanding.

When delivering an informative presentation, simplify complex topics with clear visuals and relatable examples. Organize your content logically, starting with the basics and gradually delving deeper and always remember to keep jargon to a minimum and encourage questions for clarity.

Academic presentations and research presentations are great examples of informative presentations. An effective academic presentation involves having clear structure, credible evidence, engaging delivery and supporting visuals. Provide context to emphasize the topic’s significance, practice to perfect timing, and be ready to address anticipated questions. 

2. Persuasive presentation

If you’ve ever been swayed by a passionate speaker armed with compelling arguments, you’ve experienced a persuasive presentation . 

This type of presentation is like a verbal tug-of-war, aiming to convince the audience to see things from a specific perspective. Expect to encounter solid evidence, logical reasoning and a dash of emotional appeal.

With persuasive presentations, it’s important to know your audience inside out and tailor your message to their interests and concerns. Craft a compelling narrative with a strong opening, a solid argument and a memorable closing. Additionally, use visuals strategically to enhance your points.

Examples of persuasive presentations include presentations for environmental conservations, policy change, social issues and more. Here are some engaging presentation templates you can use to get started with: 

3. Demonstration or how-to presentation

A Demonstration or How-To Presentation is a type of presentation where the speaker showcases a process, technique, or procedure step by step, providing the audience with clear instructions on how to replicate the demonstrated action. 

A demonstrative presentation is particularly useful when teaching practical skills or showing how something is done in a hands-on manner.

These presentations are commonly used in various settings, including educational workshops, training sessions, cooking classes, DIY tutorials, technology demonstrations and more. Designing creative slides for your how-to presentations can heighten engagement and foster better information retention. 

Speakers can also consider breaking down the process into manageable steps, using visual aids, props and sometimes even live demonstrations to illustrate each step. The key is to provide clear and concise instructions, engage the audience with interactive elements and address any questions that may arise during the presentation.

4. Training or instructional presentation

Training presentations are geared towards imparting practical skills, procedures or concepts — think of this as the more focused cousin of the demonstration presentation. 

Whether you’re teaching a group of new employees the ins and outs of a software or enlightening budding chefs on the art of soufflé-making, training presentations are all about turning novices into experts.

To maximize the impact of your training or instructional presentation, break down complex concepts into digestible segments. Consider using real-life examples to illustrate each point and create a connection. 

You can also create an interactive presentation by incorporating elements like quizzes or group activities to reinforce understanding.

5. Sales presentation

Sales presentations are one of the many types of business presentations and the bread and butter of businesses looking to woo potential clients or customers. With a sprinkle of charm and a dash of persuasion, these presentations showcase products, services or ideas with one end goal in mind: sealing the deal.

A successful sales presentation often has key characteristics such as a clear value proposition, strong storytelling, confidence and a compelling call to action. Hence, when presenting to your clients or stakeholders, focus on benefits rather than just features. 

Anticipate and address potential objections before they arise and use storytelling to showcase how your offering solves a specific problem for your audience. Utilizing visual aids is also a great way to make your points stand out and stay memorable.

A sales presentation can be used to promote service offerings, product launches or even consultancy proposals that outline the expertise and industry experience of a business. Here are some template examples you can use for your next sales presentation:

6. Pitch presentation

Pitch presentations are your ticket to garnering the interest and support of potential investors, partners or stakeholders. Think of your pitch deck as your chance to paint a vivid picture of your business idea or proposal and secure the resources you need to bring it to life. 

Business presentations aside, individuals can also create a portfolio presentation to showcase their skills, experience and achievements to potential clients, employers or investors. 

Craft a concise and compelling narrative. Clearly define the problem your idea solves and how it stands out in the market. Anticipate questions and practice your answers. Project confidence and passion for your idea.

7. Motivational or inspirational presentation

Feeling the need for a morale boost? That’s where motivational presentations step in. These talks are designed to uplift and inspire, often featuring personal anecdotes, heartwarming stories and a generous serving of encouragement.

Form a connection with your audience by sharing personal stories that resonate with your message. Use a storytelling style with relatable anecdotes and powerful metaphors to create an emotional connection. Keep the energy high and wrap up your inspirational presentations with a clear call to action.

Inspirational talks and leadership presentations aside, a motivational or inspirational presentation can also be a simple presentation aimed at boosting confidence, a motivational speech focused on embracing change and more.

8. Status or progress report presentation

Projects and businesses are like living organisms, constantly evolving and changing. Status or progress report presentations keep everyone in the loop by providing updates on achievements, challenges and future plans. It’s like a GPS for your team, ensuring everyone stays on track.

Be transparent about achievements, challenges and future plans. Utilize infographics, charts and diagrams to present your data visually and simplify information. By visually representing data, it becomes easier to identify trends, make predictions and strategize based on evidence.

Now that you’ve learned about the different types of presentation methods and how to use them, you’re on the right track to creating a good presentation that can boost your confidence and enhance your presentation skills . 

Selecting the most suitable presentation style is akin to choosing the right outfit for an occasion – it greatly influences how your message is perceived. Here’s a more detailed guide to help you make that crucial decision:

1. Define your objectives

Begin by clarifying your presentation’s goals. Are you aiming to educate, persuade, motivate, train or perhaps sell a concept? Your objectives will guide you to the most suitable presentation type. 

For instance, if you’re aiming to inform, an informative presentation would be a natural fit. On the other hand, a persuasive presentation suits the goal of swaying opinions.

2. Know your audience

Regardless if you’re giving an in-person or a virtual presentation — delve into the characteristics of your audience. Consider factors like their expertise level, familiarity with the topic, interests and expectations. 

If your audience consists of professionals in your field, a more technical presentation might be suitable. However, if your audience is diverse and includes newcomers, an approachable and engaging style might work better.

3. Analyze your content

Reflect on the content you intend to present. Is it data-heavy, rich in personal stories or focused on practical skills? Different presentation styles serve different content types. 

For data-driven content, an informative or instructional presentation might work best. For emotional stories, a motivational presentation could be a compelling choice.

4. Consider time constraints

Evaluate the time you have at your disposal. If your presentation needs to be concise due to time limitations, opt for a presentation style that allows you to convey your key points effectively within the available timeframe. A pitch presentation, for example, often requires delivering impactful information within a short span.

5. Leverage visuals

Visual aids are powerful tools in presentations. Consider whether your content would benefit from visual representation. If your PowerPoint presentations involve step-by-step instructions or demonstrations, a how-to presentation with clear visuals would be advantageous. Conversely, if your content is more conceptual, a motivational presentation could rely more on spoken words.

6. Align with the setting

Take the presentation environment into account. Are you presenting in a formal business setting, a casual workshop or a conference? Your setting can influence the level of formality and interactivity in your presentation. For instance, a demonstration presentation might be ideal for a hands-on workshop, while a persuasive presentation is great for conferences.

7. Gauge audience interaction

Determine the level of audience engagement you want. Interactive presentations work well for training sessions, workshops and small group settings, while informative or persuasive presentations might be more one-sided.

8. Flexibility

Stay open to adjusting your presentation style on the fly. Sometimes, unexpected factors might require a change of presentation style. Be prepared to adjust on the spot if audience engagement or reactions indicate that a different approach would be more effective.

Remember that there is no one-size-fits-all approach, and the best type of presentation may vary depending on the specific situation and your unique communication goals. By carefully considering these factors, you can choose the most effective presentation type to successfully engage and communicate with your audience.

To save time, use a presentation software or check out these presentation design and presentation background guides to create a presentation that stands out.    

What are some effective ways to begin and end a presentation?

Capture your audience’s attention from the start of your presentation by using a surprising statistic, a compelling story or a thought-provoking question related to your topic. 

To conclude your presentation , summarize your main points, reinforce your key message and leave a lasting impression with a powerful call to action or a memorable quote that resonates with your presentation’s theme.

How can I make my presentation more engaging and interactive?

To create an engaging and interactive presentation for your audience, incorporate visual elements such as images, graphs and videos to illustrate your points visually. Share relatable anecdotes or real-life examples to create a connection with your audience. 

You can also integrate interactive elements like live polls, open-ended questions or small group discussions to encourage participation and keep your audience actively engaged throughout your presentation.

Which types of presentations require special markings

Some presentation types require special markings such as how sales presentations require persuasive techniques like emphasizing benefits, addressing objections and using compelling visuals to showcase products or services. 

Demonstrations and how-to presentations on the other hand require clear markings for each step, ensuring the audience can follow along seamlessly. 

That aside, pitch presentations require highlighting unique selling points, market potential and the competitive edge of your idea, making it stand out to potential investors or partners.

Need some inspiration on how to make a presentation that will captivate an audience? Here are 120+ presentation ideas to help you get started. 

Creating a stunning and impactful presentation with Venngage is a breeze. Whether you’re crafting a business pitch, a training presentation or any other type of presentation, follow these five steps to create a professional presentation that stands out:

• Sign up and log in to Venngage to access the editor.
• Choose a presentation template that matches your topic or style.
• Customize content, colors, fonts, and background to personalize your presentation.
• Add images, icons, and charts to enhancevisual style and clarity.
• Save, export, and share your presentation as PDF or PNG files, or use Venngage’s Presentation Mode for online showcasing.

In the realm of presentations, understanding the different types of presentation formats is like having a versatile set of tools that empower you to craft compelling narratives for every occasion.

Remember, the key to a successful presentation lies not only in the content you deliver but also in the way you connect with your audience. Whether you’re informing, persuading or entertaining, tailoring your approach to the specific type of presentation you’re delivering can make all the difference.

Presentations are a powerful tool, and with practice and dedication (and a little help from Venngage), you’ll find yourself becoming a presentation pro in no time. Now, let’s get started and customize your next presentation!

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There is much to consider in deciding on an appropriate presentation method.

This page assumes that you have already prepared your presentation , or at least decided on the key messages that you wish to get across to your audience, and given at least some thought to how to organise your material .

On this page, then, we focus on the mechanics of your presentation method: how you will present.

This includes using sound systems, how to manage visual aids, how you stand, and how much interaction you want with your audience.

What Helps you to Decide your Presentation Method?

In making a decision about your presentation method, you have to take into account several key aspects. These include:

The facilities available to you by way of visual aids, sound systems, and lights. Obviously you cannot use facilities that are not available. If you are told that you will need to present without a projector, you’re going to need to decide on a method that works without slides.

The occasion. A formal conference of 200 people will require a very different approach from a presentation to your six-person team. And a speech at a wedding is totally different again. Consider the norms of the occasion. For example, at a wedding, you are not expected to use slides or other visual aids.

The audience, in terms of both size and familiarity with you, and the topic. If it’s a small, informal event, you will be able to use a less formal method. You might, for example, choose to give your audience a one-page handout, perhaps an infographic that summarises your key points, and talk them through it. A more formal event is likely to need slides.

Your experience in giving presentations. More experienced presenters will be more familiar with their own weak points, and able to tailor their preparation and style to suit. However, few people are able to give a presentation without notes. Even the most experienced speakers will usually have at least some form of notes to jog their memory and aid their presentation.

Your familiarity with the topic. As a general rule, the more you know about it, the less you will need to prepare in detail, and the more you can simply have an outline of what you want to say, with some brief reminders.

Your personal preferences. Some people prefer to ‘busk it’ (or ‘wing it’) and make up their presentation on the day, while others prefer detailed notes and outlines. You will need to know your own abilities and decide how best to make the presentation.  When you first start giving presentations you may feel more confident with more detailed notes. As you become more experienced you may find that you can deliver effectively with less.

Some Different Methods of Presentation

Presentation methods vary from the very formal to the very informal.

What method you choose is largely dictated by the occasion and its formality: very formal tends to go with a larger audience, whose members you do not know well. Your role is likely to be much more providing information, and much less about having a discussion about the information.

Form Follows Function

It’s not going to be possible, for instance, to present to 200 people from a chair as part of the group, because most of your audience will not see or hear you. You need to apply common sense to your choice of presentation method.

Audience Participation

While much of your presentation method will be dictated by the event, there is one area where you have pretty much free rein: audience interaction with you and with each other.

It is perfectly feasible, even in a large conference, to get your audience talking to each other, and then feeding back to you.

In fact, this can work very well, especially in a low-energy session such as the one immediately after lunch, because it gets everyone chatting and wakes them up. It works particularly well in a room set out ‘café-style’, with round tables, but it can also work in a conference hall.

The key is to decide on one or two key questions on which you’d welcome audience views, or on which audience views could improve your session. These questions will depend on your session, but it’s always more helpful to invite views on:

• Something that you haven’t yet decided; or
• Something that the audience is going to do themselves.

For example, you might ask people to talk to their neighbour and identify one thing that they could do to put your speech into action when they return to work and/or home. You can then ask four or five people to tell you about their action points.

Handling your Notes

You also have a choice over how you manage your text, in terms of notes. For more about this, see our page on Managing Your Notes in a Presentation .

The Importance of Iteration

You will probably find that deciding on the presentation method means that you need to change or amend your presentation.

For example, if you want to include some audience participation, you will need to include that in your slides, otherwise, you might well forget in the heat of the moment.

Fortunately, revisiting your presentation in light of decisions about how you will present is probably a good idea anyway. It will enable you to be confident that it will work in practice.

Continue to: Managing your Presentation Notes Working with Visual Aids

See also: Preparing for a Presentation Organising the Presentation Material Dealing with Questions