A balanced composition can make or break a photograph, and when it comes to portraits, one of the easiest ways to balance a composition is to take advantage of gazing direction.

This is no secret, but it’s not often I run across this tip on the Interwebz where many of us get our basic photography education. So listen up because this simple tip can make a big impact.

When you compose a portrait according to the rule of thirds or golden mean, your composition will naturally be weighted to one side or another by your subject. Here’s the tip: Once your basic framing is set, try having your subject look out of the frame in the direction of all that ’empty’ space to their right or left.

You’ll end up with a portrait that looks something like this:

Photograph Look ahead by PortraitsBySam on 500px

Look ahead by PortraitsBySam on 500px

Keep in mind that this works best when there isn’t already a lot going on in that space.

What your subject’s gaze does is grant importance: what they’re looking at is obviously important, as is the space they’re looking through… this gives that space compositional “weight.” What they’re not looking at is less important and more likely to be ignored by your viewer.

Here are some more examples of gazing direction being used to great effect. Notice that other elements (a leaf or train tracks) are sometimes used to give weight to the ’empty’ two thirds of the composition, but gazing direction adds the final touch:

Photograph Waiting by Edi V on 500px

Waiting by Edi V on 500px

Photograph *** by Malvina Frolova on 500px

*** by Malvina Frolova on 500px

Photograph Autumn's End by Jake Olson Studios on 500px

Autumn's End by Jake Olson Studios on 500px

Photograph Olesya by Mikhail Naumenko on 500px

Olesya by Mikhail Naumenko on 500px

Photograph Mak Embun by Zaid Ishak on 500px

Mak Embun by Zaid Ishak on 500px

Photograph first snow by DesiArt Kuleshova on 500px

first snow by DesiArt Kuleshova on 500px

Photograph where is the love.... by stephano you hong lin on 500px

where is the love…. by stephano you hong lin on 500px

Photograph Holy way by Sergey Parishkov on 500px

Holy way by Sergey Parishkov on 500px

Photograph Isabella Rahbek by Infinitive Studios on 500px

Isabella Rahbek by Infinitive Studios on 500px

Of course, as with any rule, breaking it can also be a good idea… just understand what your composition is saying. If a subject is gazing away from the majority of your frame, it can communicate indifference, and without enough “weight” in that two thirds, the gaze can significantly unbalance the shot.

This is a great example of the rule being broken. The lights in the background fill the ’empty’ two thirds of the frame, and the ballerina’s gaze says something about her state of mind and the message the photographer is trying to communicate.

Photograph Ballerina in the night by Daniel Ahchiev on 500px

Ballerina in the night by Daniel Ahchiev on 500px

Found this tip helpful? Let us know! Your comments help me shape the kind of content we create here at 500px ISO. And, as always, if you have some great examples of this composition tip being used or ignored to great effect, upload to 500px and drop a link in the comments!