Composition tip: Use symmetry

Sunday 25 May 2025, 14:14 by Elja Trum | 2,405 views | 0 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

Symmetry in photography is about creating a balanced composition by mirroring elements on either side of an imaginary line. This creates a sense of harmony and order, making the photo often very pleasing to look at.

Bieke - f/2.8, 1/100s, 200 ISO @ 90mm
Symmetry can be applied horizontally or vertically, and even diagonally, depending on the arrangement of your subject and the surroundings. Buildings, reflections in water and even faces are perfect examples of symmetry in your composition.

Although symmetry often creates a sense of stability and calm, it can also look boring if it is too predictable. You can prevent this by making sure there is also something asymmetrical in your photo. A small disruption of the symmetry can make the photo more exciting.

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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

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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 Photofacts

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