If you keep your eyes peeled you’ll find leading lines everywhere, from the converging rails of a train track, to the branch of a tree or the cracks in a rock face – and don’t be shy about making these lines very overt in your image.
By getting in close – really close – and filling the frame with your subject, you’ll communicate that single, allimportant observation that captured your interest in the first place.
Horizontal pictures (or landscape format) encourage our eyes to move from side to side. Vertical pictures (or portrait format) make them move up and down.
Foregound interest offers the viewer a stepping stone into your image and heightens its sense of depth.
Symmetry isn’t simply a case of composing your image like an ink blot. It’s about creating an overall sense of harmony and balance.
Use leading lines to give your composition structure and draw the viewer to key elements.
When composing your image avoid ‘passive’ areas that don’t add much.
Framing draws attention to a particular part of your composition. It’s especially handy if you’re shooting a busy scene.
Generally shutter speeds of 1/125 and faster will start to freeze movement, such as people jumping and running water.
Good photographs conform to the rules. Really great photographs often break them.