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 Most good pictures are not the result of a fortunate accident! The photographs you admire in exhibits may look like chance shots. But most often they have been created by the photographer. How do you create a picture? First you learn the rules of good composition given here. After you learn these rules, you’ll realize that most pictures with good composition are the result of careful planning, patient waiting, or a quick sensing of the best moment to take the picture. But it’s easier than it sounds. You’ll find that the rules of composition will become part of your thinking when you are looking for pictures, and soon they will become second nature to you.
Photographic composition is simply the selection and arrangement of subjects within the picture area. Some arrangements are made by placing figures or objects in certain positions. Others are made by choosing a point of view. Just moving your camera to a different position can drastically alter the composition. For moving subjects you select the best camera position and wait for the opportune moment to snap the shutter when the subject is in the best location for a good composition.
While the rules for good pictures are not fixed, certain principles of composition will help you prevent making serious mistakes in subject arrangement and presentation.
 HAVE A STRONG CENTER OF INTEREST
It is usually best to have one main point of interest because a picture can tell only one story successfully. The principal subject may be one object or several. For instance, you may want to include a secondary subject, but make sure that it doesn’t detract from your main subject. Whatever the main subject is, always give it sufficient prominence in the photo to make all other elements subordinate to it.
USE THE BEST CAMERA ANGLE
Good pictures usually depend on selecting the proper point of view. You may need to move your camera only a few inches or a few feet to change the composition decidedly. When you want to photograph a subject, don’t just walk up to it and snap the shutter. Walk around and look at it from all angles; then select the best camera angle for the picture.
MOVE IN CLOSE
One rule of composition you should always keep in mind is whether the  picture you are about to take would be better if you move in closer to your subject. Close-ups convey a feeling of intimacy to the viewer while long shots provide a sense of distance and depth. A close-up picture focuses your attention on the main subject and shows details that you could otherwise overlook or defines details that are too small in more distant views.
USE LINES FOR INTEREST AND UNITY
Use leading lines to direct attention into your pictures. Select a camera angle where the natural or predominant lines of the scene will lead your eyes into the picture and toward your main center of interest. You can find a line such as a road or a shadow in almost any outdoor scene. The road will always be there, so it’s just a matter of choosing the right camera angle to make it run into the picture. A shadow, however, is an ever-changing element in the scene. There may be only one time in the day when it’s just right. So you should patiently wait for the best composition.
 WATCH THE BACKGROUND
The background can make or break a picture. It can add to the composition and help set the mood of a picture, or it can detract from the subject if it is cluttered. Watch out for backgrounds that are more compelling than the subject. Cluttered, distracting backgrounds often spoil otherwise good pictures. Before you snap the shutter, stop for a minute and look at the background. Is there some obtrusive object or action in the background that does not relate directly to your subject and would divert the viewer’s attention?
TAKE PICTURES THROUGH FRAMES
For an added creative dimension, compose your pictures with an interesting foreground frame, such as a tree, a leafy branch, or a window. Try to choose a frame that links thematically with the subject—such as a sailboat’s rigging framing a harbor scene. Foreground frames create a sensation of depth and direct the viewer’s attention to the center of interest.
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