Good still-life photography involves more than just technical skill and effective lighting. For the best images, you’ve got to choose the right composition.
Now, the so-called “rules” of composition aren’t so much rules as guiding principles. Why? Because not every compositional tool works for every shot. What might look amazing when applied to one scene can look terrible when applied to another.
Even so, compositional guidelines can be helpful, especially in still-life photography, where composition can really make or break an image. If you’re delving into the still-life genre for the first time, it’s a good idea to memorize and practice some basic techniques. You don’t have to use them for every still-life setup you create – and once you become more experienced, you may find that you can jettison these composition guidelines entirely and work intuitively.
But if you’re struggling to create well-structured still-life shots, then the tips I share below should help you out!
1. Consider the golden ratio
If you’re new to photography, you may not have encountered the golden ratio (also known as the “Divine Proportion” and the “golden mean”). But don’t worry if you’re not familiar with the term. While artists and architects have been using the golden ratio for hundreds (if not thousands) of years, I was well into my time at photography school before I first came across it.
The golden ratio is a mathematical expression with an approximate value of 1.618. It can describe a wide variety of phenomena found in nature, but when applied to art, the results tend to be harmonious and aesthetically pleasant compositions.
You can find the golden ratio everywhere, from the works of Michelangelo to the great Egyptian pyramids to a nautilus shell. It’s also found in the human face and body, and even in our DNA.
But how can you use this to improve your still-life compositions?
The rule of thirds
Most photographers are familiar with the rule of thirds. It’s a compositional device that divides an image into nine equal sections using two horizontal and two vertical lines, just like a tic-tac-toe board:
According to the rule of thirds, the important elements in a photo should fall along the gridlines or at the points where the lines intersect. But here’s the thing: the rule of thirds gridlines loosely follow the golden ratio, so when you use the rule of thirds, you can gain a bit of the harmony that the golden ratio offers.
In my experience, the rule of thirds works well for certain types of images, such as landscapes (where you can position the horizon line a third of the way into the frame). However, I don’t think it looks great in still-life photos. The resulting images often feel awkward or unbalanced.
Fortunately, there’s another option:
The Phi grid
The Phi grid uses a similar approach to the rule of thirds, but it’s a lot more powerful. Its center lines are closer together and express the golden ratio exactly:
So when you position your still-life elements along the Phi grid, you’re using the golden ratio! Take a look at this next photo. Notice how the chestnut aligned with the Phi grid intersection is positioned differently and separated out from the other nuts? That’s the golden ratio in action!
The Fibonacci spiral
Another way to use the golden ratio in still-life photography is via the Fibonacci spiral, which features the same numerical pattern that makes up the golden ratio.
You can use this numerical pattern to draw a series of squares. If you draw an arc from one corner to the opposite corner in each square, starting from the smallest square, you’ll end up with the Fibonacci spiral:
This is another handy compositional principle, and it works very well on still-life scenes. By setting your subjects along a curve rather than a straight line, you create flow and movement, which helps guide the viewer’s eye through the image. This spiral technique works particularly well for flat-lay shots that have several elements in the frame.
You can flip or turn the spiral so long as your focal point falls in the smallest part of the spiral. Other important elements should be placed along the curve.
The golden triangle grid
Triangular arrangements offer a powerful way to create tension in a still-life image while maintaining the eye’s attention within the frame. The golden triangle grid applies the golden ratio to triangular compositions, resulting in this overlay:
Notice the diagonal line going from one corner to the opposite, and the lines meeting that diagonal from the other corners? Your points of interest should go where the lines meet. That’s where you should place your focal point, and the main diagonal line is where you should divide your frame.
While horizontal and vertical lines suggest stability, triangles – like spirals – add a sense of flow and movement.
Note: You can compose your image to imply triangles (as I did for the example above) rather than creating explicit triangles with different elements.
2. Try the rule of odds
In still-life photography, including an odd number of elements in a frame is visually more interesting than including an even number of elements. This is known as the rule of odds.
Why does this rule work? Odd numbers create harmony, balance, and a resting point for the eyes, whereas even numbers compete with each other and can divide our attention.
Here’s the rule of odds in action:
Aim to have three or five elements in your image. You can have more, but the mind has trouble registering higher numbers, meaning your photograph will not have the same effect. If you do have more than five elements, put them into groups of odd numbers wherever possible.
3. Use negative space
Positive space is the area your subjects take up.
Negative space is the empty area where the eye can rest.
Negative space can provide a feeling of movement and emphasize your subject. Plus, without any space for the eye to rest, a picture can feel chaotic or claustrophobic.
You often see negative space in photos for magazines or product packaging, where it’s deliberately incorporated for text placement. However, fine-art still-life photos can also benefit from negative space. Take a look at this next shot, which contains a nice balance of positive space (the subjects) and negative space (the background surface):
4. Remember the power of color
You may not think of color as a compositional tool, but it’s actually a very important one. It evokes emotion and helps set the mood of a photograph.
Color also has its own effects on perception. Cool and dark colors such as navy blue and black recede, while light and warm colors such as yellow bring objects forward.
A still-life photo’s color palette can be monochromatic (i.e., various shades of the same color), or it can be a combination of any colors found on the color wheel.
One of the most powerful combinations is complementary colors (i.e., colors that are directly opposite each other on the color wheel). Blue and yellow is one such combination, which you often see in still-life photography, especially when food is involved.
Remember to take into account the color of the background or surface you’re shooting on. Colors that are too bright can detract from your subject. Make sure your background matches the mood you’re trying to create and works harmoniously with your chosen elements.
Capture some beautiful still-life compositions!
It can take years for a photographer to learn to shoot intuitively using compositional principles. As you practice working with these guidelines, however, your skills will definitely improve.
Just bear in mind that not all of the approaches that I shared are equally simple to use. Visualizing the intersection points of a Phi grid is one thing, but visualizing the Fibonacci spiral while you’re shooting may be more difficult.
Thankfully, with still-life photography, you can tether your camera to your computer or use its Live View function to estimate where your subject and focal point should fall.
Editing software such as Lightroom and Photoshop can also help you place the various elements in your frame with overlays of compositional guides. You can always shoot wider than you need for the final result and crop in post-processing.
The more you implement these compositional guidelines and work with them in post-processing, the more you’ll internalize them, which can only improve your still-life photography!
Now over to you:
Do you have a favorite way to compose your still-life images? Which of these techniques do you like best? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
