We've all been down to the Naples, Florida Fishing Pier and shot gorgeous sunsets, but sometimes the landscape doesn't look quite as scenic in a photo as in real life.  One of the most important aspects of photography is that the subject (the pier) is placed correctly in the frame.  This guide will help you to know where to place the subject in the frame of the photo.

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Composition is the placement of objects or space within a photograph.  The goal of composition in photography is to tie together each element within the frame.

Composition is probably the second most important element of a great photograph'second only to beautiful lighting.  The good news is that composition is not very difficult to learn.

Why is it that driver's license pictures are always ugly?  There are several reasons (one being the lighting), but a main one is the composition.  The subject stares squarely at the lens, and the subject is exactly in the middle of the frame.  This boring placement of objects in the frame makes the picture uninteresting and bland.  If you've watched TV before, you already know how to make a straight-on shot like this more interesting.  For example, on NBC's The Office, the camera man often does interviews of the characters during the show.  Does the camera man place the subject squarely in the middle of the frame?  No.  The actor is placed slightly off-center.  This creates a more visually-appealing shot.

difference between photoshop and photoshop elements

The following techniques are the best ways to create interesting compositions.  Give these techniques a try the next time you shoot and you'll see an immediate and dramatic change in your photography.

The Rule of Thirds.

Every professional photographer follows the rule of thirds and there's good news it's EASY!  Picture a tic-tac-toe board on your frame.  If you put the focal point of your image on one of the intersections of the lines, you'll have great composition.  Having the subject of the photo off-center creates interesting visual space and makes the eye view the image as a whole.

Next time you turn on the TV, notice how often the camera men follow the rule of thirds.  Actors or objects which are the subject of the video are often placed on one of those intersections of third lines to create visual interest.  Simply following the rule of thirds will instantly make your photographs better than 95% of beginning photographers.

Foreground, Mid-ground, Background

To create interesting landscape photographs, you'll want to include elements in the foreground, mid-ground, and background.  This adds visual depth to the image and draws the viewer into the scene.  What does this mean?  When you go to take a shot of a beautiful scene, find something to put close to the camera and something far in the distance.  When you're photographing a waterfall, consider putting something near the camera: a flower, an interesting rock, a tree, etc.  Remember that when you do this, you'll have to use a high aperture (somewhere between f/11 and f/22) so that both the foreground elements and the background are in focus.

Leading Lines

Great photographs give the viewer's eye somewhere to go.  A leading line, such as a bridge, road, tree line, or shore line, will bring the viewer from the edge of the photograph into the middle and background.  This immediately adds depth to a flat image and makes the viewer feel like she is standing where you took the shot.