Ode to the Centre Composition

Lulu Nelson on her way to find a good fishing spot. Kotzebue, AK. 2008. Photo: Kristine Nyborg

I’m just going to put it out there.

I LOVE CENTRE COMPOSITION!

I always have. We all start our photography journey there, but somehow I just got stuck. And I know about the other types of composition, I DO other types of compositions and can recite guides as much as the next photographer, but I really love the impact centre composition has.

Someone once told me he didn’t like my pictures and one of the reasons was that I used so much centre composition. He is certainly entitled to his opinion, but I’m not to concerned with it. I have been happy in my centre composition for going on twenty years, and I will happily make centre composition photographs for years to come.

Wes Anderson is also a centre composition fan. Just check out this video.

I do make pictures that are not centre composition, obviously everything can’t be centred, but this is my love letter to the centre composition. Because it’s uncomplicated, easy and translates quickly.

And I like easy. That doesn’t make me lazy or boring. It just makes me happy.

In other news I have made a PDF (see not lazy) that is FREE (I write this in all caps because that is how I’ve seen other people do it, as if FREE makes it less costly than just free). It is about starting a personal project when you don’t have time or money. I give you three easy steps.

You’ll find that cool thing in the button below.

xo,

Kristine

Sigrid Ekran fetches her lead dog Sabena to hook her up for the night. Knik, Alaska. 2007. Photo: Kristine Nyborg