The Biggest Composition Mistakes I See on Photography Workshops

One of the most rewarding parts of leading photography workshops is watching photographers grow. Often it’s not about buying a better camera or learning some complicated editing technique. Most of the time, the biggest improvements happen when people begin to simplify their compositions and become more intentional with what they include in the frame.

Over the years, across landscapes, seascapes, wildlife and astrophotography, I’ve noticed many of the same compositional mistakes appearing again and again. The interesting thing is that almost all of them come from excitement. We arrive at an incredible scene, the light is happening, animals are moving, waves are crashing, the Milky Way is rising, and naturally people want to photograph everything at once.

I still catch myself doing it too.

Composition is really about learning what to leave out as much as what to include.

Trying to Include Too Much

This is probably the biggest mistake I see overall.

A photographer arrives at an incredible location and immediately reaches for the ultra-wide lens because they want to fit the whole scene in. The problem is that wider isn’t always better. Very often the image ends up with no clear subject because there is simply too much happening in the frame.

This happens constantly in landscapes and seascapes.

There may be beautiful light in the sky, interesting rocks in the foreground, mountains in the background, reflections, clouds and waves all competing for attention. Individually they are all beautiful, but together they can create visual chaos.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learnt over time is that strong compositions are usually built around one dominant idea.

Ask yourself:
“What is the photograph actually about?” or "What is the hero element of this photo?"

If the answer is unclear, the image usually feels cluttered.

Sometimes taking a few steps closer, zooming in slightly, or simplifying the foreground can completely transform the image.

Weak Foregrounds in Landscapes

Foregrounds are incredibly important in landscape photography, but not every image needs an aggressive foreground element shoved into the bottom of the frame.

I often see photographers forcing a rock, flower or patch of grass into the composition simply because they’ve heard foregrounds are important. But if the foreground doesn’t contribute to the story or lead the eye naturally into the scene, it can actually weaken the image.

Good foregrounds should:

• create depth
• guide the eye
• balance the frame
• support the mood

Not distract from it.

Some of my favourite landscape photographs have very minimal foregrounds. Mist, atmosphere and layered light can often create far more depth than an obvious object close to the camera.

Horizons Cutting Through Subjects

This is something I constantly point out on workshops, especially in wildlife and seascape photography.

A horizon line cutting directly through an animal’s head, a tree, or a mountain peak immediately creates tension in the image. The subject loses separation and clarity.

The same applies in seascapes when the horizon intersects awkwardly with rocks or waves.

A small movement up or down often fixes the problem completely.

It sounds simple, but learning to check edges and background separation becomes one of the most important compositional habits a photographer can develop.

I spend a huge amount of time looking at backgrounds before I even think about pressing the shutter.

Centering Everything

Not every subject should follow the rule of thirds, but many photographers instinctively place everything dead centre because it feels safe.

Centered compositions can absolutely work, especially with reflections, symmetry, environmental wildlife or astrophotography. But when every image is centered, photographs can start to feel static and predictable.

In wildlife photography especially, giving animals space to move or look into often creates a far stronger sense of story and tension.

Negative space is incredibly powerful when used intentionally.

Sometimes what you don’t include says more than what you do.

Shooting Everything From Eye Level

This is massive in wildlife photography.

Most photographers photograph animals from standing height or vehicle-seat height without thinking much about perspective. The result is often images that feel disconnected or documentary rather than immersive.

Changing your height changes the entire emotional feel of an image.

Getting lower:

• creates intimacy
• separates backgrounds
• makes scenes feel more immersive
• adds scale and drama

The same applies in seascapes and landscapes. Simply lowering the tripod slightly can completely change the relationship between foreground and background elements.

Perspective is one of the most overlooked compositional tools in photography.

No Clear Subject in Astrophotography

Astrophotography has become incredibly popular, but one of the biggest mistakes I see is photographers relying purely on the Milky Way itself without building a composition around it.

The sky alone is rarely enough.

The strongest astro images usually combine:

• a compelling foreground
• shape or silhouette
• direction
• scale
• atmosphere
• storytelling

The Milky Way should enhance the scene, not carry the entire image by itself.

I always encourage people to think about how the sky interacts with the landscape rather than treating them as separate elements.

Some of my favourite astro compositions are actually very simple. One tree. One dune. One mountain ridge. One dead camelthorn tree in soft moonlight.

Simplicity nearly always wins.

Chasing Technical Perfection Instead of Emotion

This is probably the most important one.

Many photographers become so focused on sharpness, settings, noise, focus stacking and perfection that they forget to ask whether the image actually feels like something.

A technically perfect photograph with no emotion is quickly forgotten.

Some of the images I value most are not technically perfect at all. But they captured atmosphere, behaviour, mood, tension or a fleeting moment that simply cannot be repeated.

Photography is not just about recording what a place looked like.

It’s about translating how it felt to stand there.

Learning to Slow Down

I think many compositional mistakes ultimately come from shooting too quickly.

We live in a time where photographers feel pressure to constantly produce images. Social media has only accelerated that mindset. But composition often requires slowing down and observing properly before touching the camera.

On workshops I often encourage people to spend time looking first.

Watch the light.
Watch the clouds.
Watch the waves.
Watch the behaviour.
Walk around.
Explore the edges of the frame.

Some of the best compositions happen after the initial excitement settles and you begin to truly see the scene rather than simply reacting to it.

Even after all these years, composition is still something I’m constantly refining myself. That’s part of what keeps photography exciting. There’s always another way to interpret a scene, another perspective to explore, another layer of simplicity to uncover.

The photographers who improve the fastest are usually not the ones with the best gear.

They’re the ones who learn to see more intentionally.