“Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph, is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk.”
Natural Framing
Using what is around you to help frame your image can be extremely beneficial. Shooting through doors, and windows can add an extra layer to your image. You are building a story and essentially constructing a frame within a frame. Using these features when photographing the nude figure further helps add layers to your image. A figure looking out a window can conjure many thoughts for the viewer. Are they waiting for someone? Are they watching a loved one work outside? You have the power to build and create a multi-dimensional story with your photography.
Rule of Thirds
Place points of interest at intersecting lines. Don’t place subject directly in the middle of your frame. Divide your frame into grids and work around the lines and intersections. This allows the eye to track around the image smoothly and not get lost. The rule of thirds helps you frame and compose your final image. You are able to divide the frame into sections and specifically place different subject matters along those lines.
Leading Lines
Using natural leading lines in your image creates flow that is pleasurable to the eye. You can use objects such as lines in a highway, bridges, railroad tracks, etc. to help build your framing. When photographing the nude figure, using body parts to emphasize a thought or feeling can be extremely powerful. Leading arms and legs can help create frames within your image and offer a path for the viewers eye to follow.
Moving in | “Filling the Frame”
Don’t be afraid to move in on your subject. A good practice is to take a photograph, move in 3 feet and take another, and then move in another 3 feet. You will be amazed at how much the image changes as you physically crop in. Not only does the subject change but the whole feeling of the photograph will be different.
Symmetry
Placing the main subject of the photograph directly in the middle of your frame can work. If you are working with something very symmetrical, a straight on shot can be very powerful. Make sure you are intending to capture the symmetry and it's not a happy accident.
Creating Shapes
This tip piggybacks off the “Filling the Frame” concept. When you move in, you are intentionally creating different shapes than you had previously seen in your frame. This exercise is extremely important when photographing the human figure. Nude photography is heavily based on the different shapes you can create in your final image. The human form is comprised of so many twists and turns and it is up to you to express those in a pleasing image.