4 classic portrait compositions every photographer should know

Discover how to compose portraits in tried and tested ways. Follow these compositional tips and you can add interest and variety to any portrait shoot.

As with most photographs, the success of a portrait relies on the compositional choices you make. In particular it’s important how elements are positioned within the frame and what is included or excluded

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Look at most family snaps and you’ll find subjects slap bang in the centre of the frame, usually with unnecessary dead space around them.

By following a few simple compositional rules, you can lift your portraits to the next level. Here we’ll look at a variety of classic portrait compositions you should aim to cover during any portrait shoot, from a wide shot to a tight close-up.

Portrait composition 01: Wide shot

Wide shots throw up more variables than close-ups, offering both a challenge and an opportunity to capture your subject in an environment that perhaps reflects their work or personality.

As a rule, position subjects on a third. Use lines, shapes and frames to lead the eye around the image, and scan the edges of the frame before you take your shot to check for any distractions.

Try out different angles and camera heights too: by crouching down or standing on a chair, for example, you can make your subject or the background look markedly different.

Portrait composition 02: Top half

Cropping a subject at the waist or chest allows for a tighter composition that brings two of a portrait’s most important elements to the fore: eyes and hands.

With this approach there’s usually a 50/50 split between subject and background.

Try to find an uncluttered background and use a wide aperture to throw it out of focus. When positioning the head in the frame, one of the most effective compositional skills you can learn is also one of the simplest: don’t place subjects in the centre. Think about posing too: here the arms lead towards the subject’s eyes.