Composition overlay
Overlay composition guides on your photo: rule of thirds, golden ratio, diagonals and more.
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Composition rules explained
Nine classic rules to compose more deliberately. Not laws, more like guidelines that train your eye. Combine or break them, as long as you know why.
Divide the frame into a 3×3 grid. Put the horizon on a horizontal third, the subject on an intersection. Simple, reliable and widely applicable. Most cameras have a grid for this.
The ratio φ ≈ 1.618 creates a phi grid with lines slightly closer to the centre than the thirds. Subtler and visually calmer, especially for portrait and still life. An old principle, used in classical painting.
The Fibonacci spiral leads the eye inward to its core. Place your most important detail there: an eye, a hand, a highlight. Strong in scenes with natural curves or leading lines.
Corner-to-corner lines add energy and direction. A diagonal feels more dynamic than a horizontal or vertical line. Works in architecture, street photography and anywhere you want to suggest tension or movement.
A diagonal from corner to corner, with perpendicular lines from the other two corners. Strong for compositions with diagonal elements like a sloping street or a leaning body. Splits the frame into three triangles with natural balance.
Place the subject smack in the middle, or mirror the left/right or top/bottom halves. Use for architecture, reflections, formal portraits. A nice counterpart to the rule of thirds when you want calm and order.
Sometimes the centre is just the right spot. One subject, clean frame, no noise. Strong for minimalist scenes, square crops, symmetrical faces. The "bull's eye" works, if the context supports it.
A door, window, arch or branch that frames the subject. Adds depth and directs attention. Especially useful in street and travel photography: the surroundings become part of the composition instead of a distraction.
Roads, rails, walls or shadows that lead the eye to the subject. Ideally from a corner or the foreground. Combine with diagonals or the spiral for extra impact. Works everywhere: landscape, urban, portrait.
Not every rule fits in lines. Also consider negative space, patterns and repetition, looking room (space in the direction the subject faces) and the rule of odds. Subtle choices often make the biggest difference.
Composition Overlay: how it works
The composition overlay places classic compositional guides directly over your photo: rule of thirds, golden ratio, diagonals, and more. Use it to analyse a shot you have already taken, or to check whether a crop will strengthen or weaken your composition. Load your image, pick an overlay, and see immediately how the elements in your frame relate to the chosen rule.
Composition rules are guidelines, not laws
The rule of thirds is the most familiar: divide the frame into a three-by-three grid and place your main subject on one of the intersecting points. The golden ratio works on the same idea but follows a spiral proportion that tends to feel slightly more organic. Diagonals are useful for images with strong leading lines, such as architecture or landscapes where a deliberate tilt carries the eye through the frame.
The overlay shows you exactly where your current composition sits relative to these rules. That is useful when you are learning, and equally useful when you want to break a rule on purpose: you can only do that convincingly if you know where the line is.
Practical use: overlays for cropping and reviewing shots
Upload a photo you are considering cropping. Switch between overlays and see which compositional rule fits best with what is already in the frame. Often a small crop is all it takes to land the subject precisely on the right intersection point.
The tool also works well as a reference when studying composition in general. If you want to explore how focal length shapes the spatial relationships in a frame, the Focal Length Simulator pairs well with this one.
Frequently asked questions
When should I use the golden ratio overlay instead of the rule of thirds?
The rule of thirds is a simplified version of the golden ratio and works for most shots. Reach for the golden ratio when you want a more refined, flowing placement, for example in portrait or nature photography where the composition needs to feel subtle rather than graphic.
How do I know which overlay fits my photo best?
Load the image and cycle through the overlays. Look for guides that line up with existing lines, planes, or your main subject. If several overlays feel roughly correct, your composition is probably already solid.
Can I use this tool to check composition on video stills or screenshots?
Yes. The tool accepts any image file you upload, regardless of where it came from. Just make sure the file's aspect ratio matches your intended final format, otherwise the guides will shift once you crop.