Continuing our conversation about composition with food photography, today we are looking at composition using the Golden Triangle.
If you’ve taken any art classes that studied the classics, then you’ve heard of the Golden Triangle. Now, there’s an awful lot to the Golden Triangle. Seriously, there are golden ratios, some call it the sublime triangle, golden ratio design, and on and on.
We’re going to really make this simple, and apply it to food photography. When ever you google composition for photography, you’ll find examples with landscapes and portraits, not food. So hopefully this will give you some fun ideas to try with your composition for your next shoot.
MAKING THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE
Here’s how you envision your frame. Divide your frame in half diagonally.
Next from each of the two empty corners, draw two lines that will be perpendicular – 90 degrees, to the line you just drew.
Now, you build your composition inside a few of these triangles.
Similar to our last post about the Rule of Thirds in composition, this is also about not filling the frame entirely with your subject.
I do like to use a lot of negative space in my compositions. This helps move the viewer’s eye around the image. This is also about offsetting your objects from the frame, and it’s totally fine to have the objects being cropped by the frame as well.
With vertical shots, what I like to do is have some space at the top, either on the left or the right. Then again, some empty space on the bottom favoring one side.
USE EMPTY SPACE WHEN YOU CAN
You can try this when building your compositions. Try to keep some empty space on the top and the bottom.
In the shot above, I have lots of empty space up top where you just see the background with the ocean.
You can also use this by placing food in the intersections of the triangles.
This is just one way to think of composition. There really aren’t any hard rules here at all, and these days honestly, anything goes, but if you get stuck for ideas, start thinking of some of these ways of composing your shots as a loose guide.
Want to learn more about composition? Click here to get the mega Composition Ebook and Composition Template Bundle.
If you like this post, please share it on Facebook using the icon below, and if you’d like more helpful tips and tricks, don’t forget about my Food Photography Tips and Tricks eBook.
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Diane
You are such an inspiration with wonderful tips….thank you!
Christina Peters
Hi Diane, thank you so much. Glad to help 🙂
Erica
Very helpful! You explained it very well. Thank you Christina!
Christina Peters
Thanks Erica!
Norma Berrios
I usually don’t write comments, but I’m compelled to tell you that I’m very grateful for your blog and Newsletter. I’m a food blogger in Puerto Rico (struggling after Hurricane María), and because I reinvented myself from being litigation attorney to a food blogger, I have no arts or photography background. I find your tutorials and articles to be very helpful. Not everybody has the time or money to take a photography class and you give enough information so that people like me can improve their food photos.
I’m still a work in progress, but I must say people like the photos that I find not so great. (at least I can tell they are not great, right?)
Once again, thank you for everything you share, from sunny Puerto Rico!!! If you find yourself in my neck of the woods, please feel free to contact me for information (and some cocktails!).
My appreciation always!
-Norma
Christina Peters
Hi Norma, thanks for the kind words. I wish you all the best with the struggles in Puerto Rico. It’s extremely disappointing that our government failed you with proper support when the hurricane hit. Keep in mind, when learning any new skill, it takes time. Be patient with yourself and acknowledge what you have learned and celebrate that no matter how small you might feel that it. We are all a work in progress. I’m still learning new things about photography all the time. That’s why it’s so fun – you’re never done learning. Keep up the good work! Your blog is very.
Shibani
Thanks a lot .. I was so confused .. thanks for clarifying..
Christina Peters
Thanks for reading the blog Shibani!
Robin
Thank you Christina, I knew about the rule of thirds but was not aware of the triangle strategy. It makes perfect sense. It seems that these images where you can create some negative space and the viewer’s eye to move around the image, you would primarily use your 50mm lens?
Christina Peters
Hi Robin! I do use a lot of negative space in my images. I actually don’t use the 50mm very much at all. I find it very limiting for food. I actually like to use the Canon 24-105mm zoom on my full frame cameras for overhead shots because then I don’t have to keep adjusting my tripod to frame a shot, I can just use the zoom on the lens to change my focal length to what I want.
Rick Iacobelli
I saw this rule a while back and never really got it, but now I do so thanks for that. My initial thought is that this may be better than ‘rule or thirds’ for verticals and visa versa. I will experiment with grid overlays in LR and live view in the LCD after seeing this. Most of my verticals suck except for when using leading lines. Very interesting. I will definitely use this in my next shoot. Thanks again. I get a lot of good info from your blog.
Christina Peters
Hi Rick, thanks for reading the blog. Each type of shot is different so some work well for the rule of thirds and others not so much. These are handy to refer to if you feel you are struggling to put something together.
Life Images by Jill
Thanks so much for this Christina. I had never heard of the golden triangle but it makes perfect sense!
Christina Peters
Yeah, if you get stuck for in idea, it can help.
Healthy World Cuisine
Thank you for these great tips. Gorgeous shots too. Loving the bright and light spring feeling photos.
Christina Peters
Thank you so much!
Paula Mello
Hi Christina! I love your blog!! I’m learning soooo much! Txs!!!
xoxo
from Brazil =)
Christina Peters
Hi Paula, thanks so much and thanks for reading the blog 🙂
Tammy
This was so helpful. I enjoy reading your blogs.
Christina Peters
Glad it helped Tammy!
Heather
Great tips! Thanks, so much!
Christina Peters
Hi Heather – you’re welcome and thanks for reading the blog 🙂