There are quite a few composition rules in photography. And you probably have heard of things like leading lines, the golden ratio, and the rule of thirds. But the golden triangle in photography might be one you haven’t heard of.
In today’s article, you’ll learn how to apply the golden triangle to improve your composition.
The golden triangle is a type of composition. This rule is similar to the rule of thirds. But the way the photo is divided is a little different.
The golden triangle is a series of diagonal lines that form right-angle triangles to act as a composition guide. The main subject of the photo should sit on the intersection of these triangles.
There are lots of common ways to compose your image in photography. But after a while, these formulas can get a little repetitive. If you want to change your composition, look at a variant of the rule of thirds—the golden triangle.
With this type of composition, you use diagonal lines in your photo. This will give your photo a more dynamic feel.
The rule of thirds puts important elements on the intersecting points of the rule of thirds grid. This grid uses two lines to divide the frame vertically and horizontally to form a 3 x 3 grid.
For the golden triangle, you’ll use triangles instead of boxes, creating diagonals across your composition.
Imagine your frame and draw a diagonal line from the top left corner, and draw it down to the bottom right corner. It doesn’t matter which corners you connect.
Now, from the bottom right corner, draw a line that connects to the diagonal line at a right angle. You can complete this line to the edge of your frame if you wish. Do the same thing with a line from the top left corner until it hits the diagonal line at a right angle.
You now have triangles that form the photographic composition known as the golden triangle. You can use this composition for either a landscape or portrait orientation.
Once you have your grid set up for the golden triangle, you’ll notice two intersecting points. Just like in the rule of thirds, you want to put your point of interest over this point of intersection.
Photos tend to have a point of interest and leading lines that run through them. This is how they should be handled for the golden triangle.
There are locations where golden triangle composition is only possible with Dutch angles. But Dutch-angle photos aren’t always everyone’s favorite.
So what type of subjects work for this type of photo? Below are a few ideas to get you started. But just like every other art form, you’ll have to use your own judgment to create your own style.
The golden ratio is an alternative way of composing a photo. It’s based on rectangles within rectangles that decrease in size through the composition.
The ratio is 1:1.618, which creates a spiral similar to a nautilus shell. As you look more outward from the subject, the other elements continue to line up to this golden spiral.
Good photography depends on a strong composition. It’s important to experiment with different ways to frame a photo.
At first, it might be difficult to see this new way of composing your image. But the more you practice, the easier it becomes. It’s a bit like learning a new language, only this is a visual language. With practice, you’ll start seeing the golden triangle everywhere.
