The composition board.

Where things sit in the frame decides where the eye goes. Pick a rule, copy the phrase.

Composition — where the eye is sent

The green dot marks the subject.

Subject on a third-line, not centre. The default that always works.

rule-of-thirds composition, subject placed on a third line

Dead centre, mirrored halves. Formal, iconic, a little unnerving.

perfectly centered symmetrical composition

A small subject in a huge emptiness. The silence does the talking.

vast negative space, small subject, minimalist composition

Roads, rails, shadows — every line herds the eye to the subject.

strong leading lines converging on the subject

Shot through a doorway, window, or arch. A picture inside a picture.

framed through a doorway, natural frame-within-frame

Tilted lines of action across the frame. Movement even in stillness.

dynamic diagonal composition, tilted lines of energy

The nautilus curve painters have trusted for centuries.

golden-spiral composition, eye flowing along the curve

Something soft and close in front; the subject sharp beyond. Instant 3D.

blurred foreground element adding depth, subject sharp beyond