I love traveling, as most people do. Going to a new natural area, city, state, or country, can overwhelm our senses. As a photographer, it is extremely hard not to take the path of least resistance, and take pictures of everything. Years ago as I sat on a rock overlooking a valley, I noticed that my eyes just couldn't separate the scene. It was almost like I had a mental block. I either shoot the entire valley scene, or I walk away without a shot. That's not much of a choice. If we are to capture interest in our photos, we need to identify areas of interest within the scene. That is the essence of proper composition.

So...How do we do that? Well, if a composition is the product of individual interest, and the ability to separate additional clutter within the scene. There lies the creative artistry within photography. As a photographer, you must always ask yourself, what am I looking at? By asking yourself this all the time, you are now able to break down the scene into areas of interest. An area of interest can be a single element, or several elements within the scene. The question is, How do You arrange these elements within the overall frame? Actually that's the easy part, afterall, your the one excited by the scene! There are only three rules to follow. These are to identify the foreground, middle, and background within the scene. Any of these areas, may contain the primary element within the scene. 

Now comes the harder part. leading the viewer's eyes to that primary element. There are no solid rules here, because lead-in elements are subject to the scene itself, and perspective. What I mean by that is, the view relative to camera height, and the angle of view within the scene. The best way to get good at this, is to use our natural instinct to want a better view. The next time you find yourself in that place, walk around your scene. Try to find the area that puts a smile on your face. Now ask yourself...What am I looking at, and how do I lead the viewers eyes to my subject? Do I use the lower right, middle, or left side to lead the viewer in? What is, or are the lead-in elements to use within this scene? What is the effect that I'm looking for? Does the lighting look right? (That's another topic for discussion). Answer all that, and you'll be able to properly separate the intended composition from the entire scene.

Tom Dayeh