Balancing Elements

    As with the rule of thirds, placing your main subject off-centre creates a more interesting photo. But by doing so it can leave a void in the scene which can make it feel empty. You should balance the "weight" of your subject by including another object of lesser importance to fill the space.


What does balance in photography mean?
If you place every element of interest in a photograph on one side or another, or more commonly by the beginners in the center of the image, you are leaving little or nothing to look at on the opposite side. This will be a unbalanced and most likely an uninteresting image.
If you have a large object as the main subject of an image it should be counter balanced with a smaller object or objects to make a good composition. Use of asymmetrical balance is more challenging and requires more artistic skill and training to do well compared to symmetrical composition.

Formal balance
There are basically two types of balance in photography. The first is formal balance, also called symmetrical balance. As the name suggest it is when one or more identical or similar subjects are repeated symmetrical on each sides of a given point. The formal balance is most often recognized by subjects that are homogeneous in shape.

Informal balance
The second type, informal balance or so called asymmetrical balance is when one or more dissimilar elements are balancing on each side of a given point. Informal balance is less obvious because the subjects are not uniform.


Radial balance
There is also a third type of balance in photography. This is called radial balance. This is when all the elements of the design “radiate” from a center point in a circular fashion. Radial balance is a great way to lead the eye into the focal point in the center of the object.

Here is an example of a picture taken with the elements balancing out one another: