9 Photo Composition Tips From Award Winning Photographer Steve McCurry

The Cooperative of Photography put together a great video that illustrates 9 useful composition techniques as seen in legendary photojournalist Steve McCurry’s photography from around the world. McCurry is an award-winning editorial photographer best known for his photograph, “Afghan Girl” (Sharbat Gula), which originally appeared on the June 1985 cover of National Geographic magazine when she was approximately 12 years old.

It’s a super useful watch, and a reminder that photography isn’t just about pointing and clicking. McCurry reminds us at the end: “Remember, the composition is important, but also rules are meant to be broken. So the main point is to enjoy yourself while you’re photographing and photograph in your own way and your own style.”

Each of the 9 photo composition tips is illustrated with examples from McCurry’s impressive body of work.

#1 Rule of Thirds

Place points of interest on intersections

#2 Leading Lines

Use natural lines to lead the eye into the picture

#3 Diagonals

Diagonal lines create great movement

#4 Framing

Use natural frames like windows and doors

#5 Figure to Ground

Find a contrast between subject and background

#6 Fill the Frame

Get close to your subjects

#7 Center Dominant Eye

Place the dominant eye in the center of the photo.
This gives the impression the eyes follow you

#8 Patterns and Repetition

Patterns are aesthetically pleasing.

But the best is when the pattern is interrupted

#9 Symmetry

Symmetry is pleasing to the eye

For more, visit COOPH and Steve McCurry’s official site.