Composition & Framing

Rule of Thirds

A 3x3 grid guide; placing subjects on the lines or intersections looks more natural than centring.

Headroom

The space between the top of a subject's head and the top of the frame.

Looking Room

Extra space in front of a subject in the direction they face or move.

Leading Lines

Lines in the scene that draw the viewer's eye toward the subject.

Frame Within a Frame

Using doorways, windows or objects to surround the subject and add depth.

The same interview shot, improved in four moves.

1. 1Before: Subject dead centre, huge gap above the head, a bright window behind them.
2. 2Move 1: Lower the camera to the subject's eye line and cut the headroom.
3. 3Move 2: Shift the subject onto the left third and leave looking room on the right.
4. 4Move 3: Turn 45° so the window lights the face instead of blowing out the background.
5. 5Move 4: Add a plant in the foreground for depth — now the frame has layers.

pythonframe_w, frame_h = 1920, 1080
thirds_x = [frame_w / 3, 2 * frame_w / 3]
thirds_y = [frame_h / 3, 2 * frame_h / 3]

eyes_x, eyes_y = 990, 350   # where the subject's eyes are

def near(value, targets, tolerance=60):
    return any(abs(value - t) < tolerance for t in targets)

if near(eyes_y, thirds_y):
    print("Good: eyes sit on the upper third line")
else:
    print("Recompose: tilt so the eyes land near y =", int(thirds_y[0]))

Many cameras overlay this grid for you — the code just makes the idea explicit.