Photographic composition of squares

Introduction: Composition in a square is a very difficult thing? Looking at art history, excellent square works are rare compared with rectangles. There is not much difference between square photos and rectangular photos in most aspects (light and color). Perhaps the only thing that needs attention is composition. Let's take a look at how to compose a picture in a square.

and the square is too difficult to balance, and there is often a feeling that these objects are not placed correctly. However, interestingly, many excellent' abstract arts use squares as carriers, such as mondriaan's Composition of Three Primary Colors.

what does this difference mean for photography? In rectangular composition, you can accommodate multiple composition elements at the same time, and it is easier to balance them. And in the square composition, the classic? Rule of thirds? Although it can be used, it will not be so applicable. A square can hold fewer composition elements. It has an almost rigid sense of balance, and it will be destroyed if it is not careful.

the following skills are easy to understand. They can also be applied to rectangular photography, but they are more important in squares.

1. Highlight the main body

Compared with the rectangle, the picture of the square composition is better to be concise and clear, and the main body is prominent, so it is easy for people to know where the line of sight should be placed. Moreover, if you are on Instagram, the media of the photo display is the mobile phone screen (it will be smaller when browsing with Grid), so it is easy to ignore what you are shooting by holding too many things.

2. Leave blank

A simple composition technique to keep the picture concise and the main body prominent is to leave a large area of blank in the picture.

in fact, you can use open composition more boldly in the square? Cut off a part of the main body, destroy its integrity, and connect the frame with the external space.

3. Symmetry

Because the square itself has a sense of balance, it is a very practical skill to use symmetry.

another composition method I like very much is 2x2.

I don't agree that the square composition itself should be? Symmetric? . Unless symmetry itself is part of the theme you want to express, unless it can make the picture look more interesting, then don't put the subject in the middle. Off-center, or on the edge of the picture, or even cropping part of the main body? There are many ways of composition for you to choose from. Putting it in the middle is indeed a convenient way of composition, but why do you have to do this?

4. Tilt

Because the sense of balance of the square itself is easy to become rigid, sometimes, the elements in the picture can be tilted to deliberately destroy the sense of balance. For example, in fact, I also took a front photo of this building. But that would be boring, wouldn't it?