5 Creative Photography Tips to Instantly Improve Your Composition

Learn 5 simple photography tips to boost your creativity and improve composition. Easy techniques you can try with any camera or lens.

You’ve got a new camera or lens, or maybe you’ve been photographing for a while but feel like your images are starting to look the same. It happens to every photographer. That moment where the excitement fades, and photos start to feel flat or predictable.

The good news? Creativity in photography doesn’t come from owning the fanciest gear. It comes from learning how to see differently and finding fresh ways to compose and capture the world around you.

Here are five simple approaches you can try on your next adventure to bring new energy into your work. I’ve already found travelling somewhere new helps in expanding my creative process and approach, but these tips will work no matter where you are in the world, close to home, or further afield.

Why Creativity Matters More Than Gear

New gear is exciting, but it will not automatically make your photos more engaging. A sharper lens might improve detail, but it is your composition skills, how you choose to frame, balance, and light your subject, that creates the real impact. Focusing on creativity means you can take stronger photos with any camera in any situation. If you have just upgrade your gear, learn the new features, tools or how to adjust to the focal length by also experimenting with your composition at the same time, it’ll help enhance your photos much faster!

1. Change Your Perspective

One of the quickest ways to shift the feel of your images is to change where you are standing, or how you are holding your camera. Instead of always shooting at eye level, try crouching low to the ground, climbing a few steps higher, or tilting your angle. A small change in perspective can completely alter how your subject feels in the frame and make ordinary scenes suddenly more engaging.

2. Look for Leading Lines

Our eyes naturally follow paths, whether it is a road, a fence, a river, or even a line of shadows stretching across the street. Start paying attention to these visual guides and use them to draw the viewer’s gaze toward your subject. Leading lines can add structure, flow, and depth, turning a simple snapshot into something with a stronger story.

3. Play With Foregrounds

Instead of standing back and shooting your subject in isolation, look for elements you can place between yourself and the scene. Think leaves, windows, arches, or even out of focus details from the environment. Foregrounds add texture and depth, and they can help frame your subject in a way that feels more immersive and dynamic.

4. Embrace Negative Space

Sometimes less really is more. Instead of filling the entire frame, try giving your subject room to breathe with empty space around it, whether that is sky, sea, or a plain wall. Negative space draws attention directly to what matters most, and can also create a sense of calm, scale, or simplicity in your photos.

5. Notice Light and Shadow

Light is the language of photography, and it can make or break an image. Start observing how shadows create shapes, how golden hour softens and warms tones, or how artificial light can add drama. By being intentional with light and shadow, you can instantly shift the mood and impact of your photos.

Where to Go Next With Your Photography

These five ideas are small but powerful ways to refresh your photography and start seeing new possibilities in familiar places. They are quick to try, fun to experiment with, and they often lead to those little moments that keep you inspired.

But this is just the beginning. Developing a creative eye and building strong composition skills takes practice, guidance, and structure. That is why I created The Composition Course. A step-by-step program with practical workbooks and challenges designed to help you move past frustration and start creating images you are truly proud of.

WHO IS IT FOR?

Beginners and enthusiasts wanting to build creative confidence.
Photographers who feel their work looks “fine” but not as unique or striking as they’d like.
Anyone craving motivation, inspiration, or a fresh approach to how they compose.
Creatives who want their images to tell stories, capture attention, and make people say wow.

By the end of the course, you’ll have a stronger sense of who you are as a photographer. You’ll know what draws your eye, what excites you in a scene, and how to compose images that reflect your personal style.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

Creative Composition Techniques: Rule of thirds, leading lines, negative space, balance, depth of field, reflections, and more.
Practical Skills You Can Apply Anywhere: From experimenting with foreground bokeh to using light and movement creatively.
Confidence in Any Scene: Learn how to assess a location, move beyond “point and shoot”, and compose with purpose.
Your Creative Vision: Build consistency, refine your photographic eye, and start creating work that feels like you.

Learn more about the course here →

Lisa Michele Burns

Hello! I’m the founder and photographer behind The Wandering Lens.
With 19+yrs experience as a professional travel and landscape photographer, all advice found on this site is from my personal experience, or that of contributors, on the road. I hope it’s useful for your own travels and would love to hear in the comments about your trips and experiences around the world.