composition

Composition is simply the way elements in your shot are arranged. With a good composition, elements feel balanced and the viewer is drawn into the frame.

The rule of thirds is one of the simplest compositional techniques to master, but also one of the most useful. By following this guideline, you can ensure that your photos are visually balanced with all the elements within a scene working together in harmony. Simply imagine the frame is split into nine equally sized rectangles by two horizontal and two vertical lines. Canon cameras offer this as a grid overlay on the LCD screen, and some also have one that can be activated in the viewfinder. Position the subject on one of the four points where these lines intersect for a good, solid composition.

Here, composing the subject on one of the four ‘power points’ makes the image successful. For this scene the sky is more interesting than the sea, which is why it’s more prominent

Even with an abstract image, the rule of thirds guideline can provide visual balance