Composition tip: Use horizontal lines
Saturday 27 September 2025, 17:17 by Elja Trum | 2,288 views | 0 commentsThis article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.
Horizontal lines play an important role in creating stability and calm in a photo. They often have a calming effect and create a sense of balance and harmony in the composition.
In the photo above, you can see how the horizontal lines in the background add a graphic element. These lines lead the eye from left to right through the image, while model Sarah stands out against this structure. This creates an interesting contrast between the calm background and the model.
Horizontal lines help to anchor a photo, especially when the subject takes up a vertical or diagonal position. The viewer can let their gaze glide across the image, but the subject interrupts this movement. This creates a pleasant tension between the calm of the lines and the subject.
Horizontal lines also work very well for creating a sense of space. They emphasise the width of a scene.
About the author
Elja Trum is the founder of Photofacts and online photography course website Photofacts Academy. He has been writing about photography since 2006. Elja is also the author of (Dutch) books on composition, black-and-white photography, flash photography and portrait photography.
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Elja Trum
Photofacts; everything to do with photography!
Would you like to take better photos and keep up with what is happening in photography? Photofacts publishes articles that teach you something about photography — from a product announcement to a practical shooting tip or a look at a website. Photofacts covers photography every day and is a hobby project of Elja Trum's that got out of hand. The articles are written by a team of volunteer authors. If you would enjoy writing one or more articles for Photofacts, do get in touch.More about PhotofactsPhotofacts is made possible in part by
