An example of triangles in composition, formed here by the two faces and hand with the knife.

Easy to find, simple to imply, using triangles is a common and useful compositional technique. You can find a triangle anywhere you find three points, and the resulting diagonal lines create a dynamism that attracts the eye. As long as your three chosen points do not form a straight line, you can imply a triangle. At it’s simplest, a portrait of somebody with outstretched hands can form a triangle, the three points being each hand and the subject’s face. Adding more people, or some kind of static object such as a tree, to the frame can offer increasing options for triangles. A photograph can have any number of them, you are not just limited to one.

Even something like the classic long, straight road with the lines converging at the vanishing point is an example of a triangle. Angle your camera upwards at a building or tower, and the vertical convergence will give rise to more triangles. A parent holding hands with two children will form a triangle. And so on. Once you become aware of this compositional technique, you’ll start to see triangles everywhere.

When the image has a kind of base at the bottom of the frame, with the other two sides rising up to meet at the top, we get an idea of stability. The triangle here appears to be strong and dependable, much like a pyramid or the Eiffel Tower. When the situation is reversed however and we have the apex at the bottom and “base” at the top, we get a sense of movement and/or instability. It may symbolize an imbalance and as a tension all of its own.

Take a look around the environment you are in right now. How many triangles can you see? I bet that there are more than you’d expect, so keep this is mind next time you are out with your camera.

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Diagonal lines are apparent in nature. Taroko Gorge, Taiwan

The next line-related composition to look at is diagonal lines. These are particularly useful in suggesting depth and perspective in an image. They are the most dynamic of all lines, giving a strong sense of action, speed and motion. Whereas horizontal and vertical lines represent stability and strength, diagonals give rise to feelings of unresolved tension.

Diagonals help to draw the viewers eye through a photograph, with multiple points of interest where they intersect. This is especially useful in images that have a lot of activity within them. Constructing the photo so it contains diagonals helps to bring a simple structure to an otherwise chaotic image.

An easy way to create the sense of depth that diagonals give is through the use of converging lines. What in actuality are parallel lines, appear to converge and become diagonal as they stretch into the distance. To the viewer, this gives a heightened sensation of depth and helps to draw the eye into the photograph.

Numerous repeated diagonals throughout a picture can often produce interesting patterns whereas numerous intersecting diagonals often produces confusion. Pay extra attention to the frame when composing your image to either create or avoid these as necessary.

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