Quick & dirty rules of photo composition

[mzrowan]

A friend's compliment on my photo composition a while ago got me thinking about my "quick and dirty" rules of composition, most of which I learned from photoclave:

1. The rule of thirds


2. If there are vertical and/or horizontal lines in your shot, try to make the ones that are strongest or closest to the sides of the frame parallel with the frame. If you can't, make them really not parallel -- lines that are almost-but-not-quite parallel are the most distracting.
   
   
3. Check for any objects you might be cutting off.


4. If there's something "getting in the way" of your shot, and you can't eliminate it, make it a feature.


5. No accidents. This is kind of a general rule that sums up the all of the others. If you're going to ignore the rule of thirds, have lines not parallel to the frame, cut off an object, or have something "in the way" of the "main subject", then do your best to make it look like a deliberate choice rather than an accident.

Obviously, you don't always have time to create the perfect composition before you take a shot, but if you practice these when you do have time, they become more instinctual when you don't.

Got any others?