Composition: guides, not rules
Thirds, leading lines, frames and symmetry, and how to know when to break them.
Composition is how you arrange things in the frame. Good composition guides the eye to what matters and makes a photo feel intentional. You will hear about "rules", but they are really guides: patterns that often work, and that work even better when you know when to break them.
Start with the subject
Before any guide, answer one question: what is this photo about? If you cannot say it in a few words, the viewer will not see it either. Then remove everything that does not help. Take a step closer, change your angle or zoom in. Most weak photos have too much in them, not too little.
The rule of thirds
Imagine two horizontal and two vertical lines dividing the frame into nine equal parts. Placing your subject on one of these lines, or where two lines cross, often feels more balanced and alive than placing it in the centre. Put the horizon on the top or bottom line, not through the middle.