A Post By: Darren Rowse

This tip was submitted via email by DPS reader, Todd.

Hi Darren, here’s a tip that I’d love to share with your readers.

When I’m out and about with my digital camera I’ve gotten into the habit of taking at least two shots of almost every scene that I see.

A Symmetrical shot and an Asymmetrical one (or one with the subject dead centre and one with it off centre).

I know that compositional rules like the rule of thirds say to put your main object off centre to create more interest in your shot (and I agree that it usually gets the best results) but sometimes the most stunning shot is the one when you put the main point of interest slap bang in the middle of your shot and where there’s real symmetry in the image.

As a result I’ve trained myself to always take at least two shots – one looking for to use the rule of thirds and asymmetry and the other with as much symmetry as possible.

The beauty of digital photography is that it doesn’t cost any more to take two shots than one and the results of doing so mean when I get back to my PC I have the choice of two shots of most scenes.

PS from Darren: Great tip Todd. I have another friend who tells me that she does something similar – but her two shots are always one in a horizontal framing and the other in the vertical framing.