All great pictures have one thing in common: They are composed well. Composition is also called "framing" and there is no right or wrong way to do it. The only rule is that there are no rules. But there are a few tips to help you take better pictures or show teachers how to help their students develop an "eye" for well-composed pictures.

* Pay attention to framing.
Nothing ruins a photo faster than distracting elements in the background. Don't get so focused on the photo's subject that you ignore what else is going on around them. Watch out for poles, trees and power lines, and look all the way around the edges of the frame, asking "Is this what I really want?"

* Learn the Rule of Thirds.
The human eye has its "visual center" and this is the place that it is naturally drawn to. Imagine the viewfinder is divided into thirds, both horizontally and vertically. This grid creates four points where the lines cross. For the greatest impact, place the subject where the lines intersect, instead of in the center of the frame.

* Foreground and Background.
Every photo has them. How you want people to look at your picture tells you what to do with the foreground and background. To blur the background, zoom in close and choose a large aperture setting (like F2.8). This works really well for pictures of a person.

* Change your line of sight.
Try kneeling, or even putting the camera on the ground. Or climb a flight of stairs so you're higher than the subject you're photographing. Digital cameras with twist and tilt LCD screens make it even easier. Changing angles provides a new way of seeing things, and makes for a more dramatic picture.

* Viewpoint.
Look for elements that lead the eyes through the photo. A winding path, a row of telephone poles or even a line of chairs at the beach can serve as elements in a good photo.

* Patterns.
Keep your eyes open for patterns. Interesting photos can be made of the waves and patterns created by drifting snow, a flock of birds flying in formation or pipes stacked at a construction site.

* Close-Ups.
Try getting in close. Look for texture, in the wrinkles of a face or the bark of a tree. Hands say a lot about a person. Pay attention to details.

* Cropping.
Cropping brings a photo to life. If you edit photos on the computer, you are no longer limited to the standard 4 x 6, 5 x 7 or 8 x 10 print sizes. Look at each photo and think about what you really want people to see. Then crop everything else away. Try some unusual shapes, like panoramas or narrow verticals.

Remember: variety is the spice of photography. Composition is only limited by your imagination. Experiment, have fun, and keep learning!

From Adobe Systems Incorporated

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