Photography Composition Guide

Create detailed photography composition plans for any shoot scenario.

**Shoot Type:** [PORTRAIT / LANDSCAPE / STREET / PRODUCT / FOOD / EVENT / ARCHITECTURE / WILDLIFE]
**Location:** [STUDIO / OUTDOORS (describe setting) / URBAN / NATURAL ENVIRONMENT]
**Equipment Available:** [DSLR/MIRRORLESS + LENS LIST / MIRRORLESS ONLY / SMARTPHONE]

**Composition Framework Application:**
- Rule of thirds: grid overlay description, where to place subject intersections
- Leading lines: identify natural lines in the scene (roads, fences, shorelines) that draw the eye to the subject
- Framing: use natural frames (windows, arches, tree branches) to frame the subject
- Depth layers: foreground interest, midground subject, background context - how to create 3D feel on 2D sensor
- Golden ratio/phi spiral: alternative to rule of thirds for more organic composition placement
- Negative space utilization: when and how empty space strengthens the image
- Symmetry and patterns: when to break symmetry for visual interest vs. maintain it for impact

**Lighting Direction and Quality:**
- Time of day recommendations (golden hour, blue hour, midday harsh light, overcast diffused)
- Light direction relative to subject (front lit, side lit, backlit, Rembrandt lighting for portraits)
- Natural reflectors available (water, sand, buildings, clouds) and how to use them
- Shadow play: using shadows as compositional elements rather than avoiding them

**Perspective Choices:**
- Eye level: natural, documentary feel - when this works best
- Worm's eye (looking up): makes subject appear powerful, dramatic - what subjects benefit
- Bird's eye (looking down): reveals patterns and layouts - ideal for food, street, architecture
- Dutch angle/tilted horizon: creates tension and unease - use sparingly for emotional impact
- Low angle with foreground element: adds depth and context to portrait or action shots

**Color Theory in Composition:**
- Complementary color pairing (opposite on color wheel) for maximum visual pop
- Analogous colors (next to each other) for harmonious, calming compositions
- Triadic color schemes for vibrant, balanced images
- Monochromatic approach: using one hue with varying saturation and brightness
- Color as leading element: how a splash of color can draw the eye in a muted scene

**Shot List Template:**
For each planned shot include:
- Shot type (wide establishing, medium detail, close-up, extreme close-up)
- Composition technique being applied
- Lighting setup description
- Camera settings recommendation (aperture for depth of field, shutter speed for motion)
- Subject positioning notes
- Background considerations and how to manage distractions
- Alternative compositions for the same scene

How to Customize It

Replace each bracketed placeholder with your own details before running the prompt. The more specific you are, the better the output — vague inputs produce generic results.

• [PORTRAIT / LANDSCAPE / STREET / PRODUCT / FOOD / EVENT / ARCHITECTURE / WILDLIFE]Swap in your portrait or landscape or street or product or food or event or architecture or wildlife.
• [STUDIO / OUTDOORS (describe setting) / URBAN / NATURAL ENVIRONMENT]Swap in your studio or outdoors (describe setting) or urban or natural environment.
• [DSLR/MIRRORLESS + LENS LIST / MIRRORLESS ONLY / SMARTPHONE]Swap in your dslr or mirrorless + lens list or mirrorless only or smartphone.

When to Use It

• Preparing a product, portrait, or event shoot where the deliverables are defined and reshoots are expensive.
• Learning composition deliberately: generate a plan emphasizing one principle per outing and practice it.
• Directing a photographer you've hired, with a shot list that communicates what you need.

Tips for Better Results

• 1List the equipment you actually own, including the lack of it — a plan built around lights you don't have is a fantasy, and natural-light plans need timing built in.
• 2For every planned shot, ask for the safe version and the risky version; the safe one guarantees the deliverable, the risky one is why photography is interesting.
• 3Scout in the plan: ask what to check at the location (light direction by hour, backgrounds, permissions) before shoot day.