Some photograhers have a natural inborn talent for composition- that is the placement of subjects within the frame. Some folks have a natural inborn talent while others have to learn some basic element to develop a knack or talent. There are othere elements that have to do with composition such as the use of color, lighting, and tone, and the strategic use of leading lines.

There are "rules" and guidelines that are useful in teaching and learning the basic elements. There are the rule of thirds and the golden section but those are the tip of the iceberg. There are complex theses written with, intricate diagrams, grids, and diagrams on cameras' viewing screens. All of these resources are helpful but perhaps not practical in workg in the field. I have a book that not only has all those diagrams but breaks them into mathematical and geometric formulas. It is some interesting reading but not very useful when shooting wildlife. a sports event, a landscape in sub-freezing weather, or a riot. You can the the book with you but you can subconsciously apply some of the theory.

What you boil things down to the basic reason for the concept is to lead the viewers' eyes to the motif of your images.

Personally speaking, I do not confine my work to one format, aspect ratio, size, or shape unless it is for a commercial job with a particular layout. I find that some subjects work well in a square rectangular, panoramic, ir even round or oval final disposition and shoot accordingly. Some subjects do well in a tight composion and some benefit from negative space. I consider leading lines, foreground framing in traditional approaches, and oftentimes breaking a "rule" will make for a stronger image.

If you are satisfied with your result, composition-wise, a good experiment is to see if they conform to any of the classic rules. You might find out that you have a natural talent. If you are dissatisfied, study some of the classic concepts and see what improvement you can apply.

The great advantage of digital photoghay is that you do not have to go through tons of film and hours of darkroom work to experiment. You can not only bracket exposures but "bracket" compositions aswell- try various points of view, varying focal lengths, leaving more or less space around your subject, and consider various aspect ratios, and crops. Develop your individual style and approach.

I kid you not about that book. Here is one of the diagrams that illustrate the strongest point in a composiition- enough to drive one crazy.

There is no magical formula. Study some of the foundational material, apply it when you can, see if you like the results, break a few rules, and at the end of the day it waht looks good to YOU!

I think the word " rules " kind of misleads folks.... These so called " rules " are more like illustrations of universally observed phenomena such as things pertaining to Golden rectangle, rule of thirds, Golden spiral, Fib. #'s etc... These relationships are " pleasing " to the eye and as such, misconstrued into rules... Anyone interested in these things should check out " The Golden Ratio " by Mario Livio. Fib.#'s will take you down the rabbit hole esp. if you are into nature etc...

Etymology is fun and so are Euphisiams (the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant the expression so substituted). The components and their composition are fun, interesting, enlightening, and helpful to study- call them whatever you want if "rules " are offensive or antithetical to your philosophy or nature.

I have mentioned on numerous occasions that these so-called "rules:" are not laws but are guidelines and visual aspects to consider in you work. There are, however, some REAl rules in the physics of light, electronics, optics, etc. that should be considered to be important and learned.

I am not a university or college professor, however, I have been in a position to train rookee or aspiring professional photographers. I have presented many workshops and seminars. In that environment, there's little time to philosophize because students are spendig time and money learning practical methodologies. So, what should I do? I could show my work, brag about my experiences, and tell them to go out and do whatever the heck they feel like and eventualy they will find their path. Or will it be of benefit to furnish them with some foundational theory, analyze images, illustrate how composition can strengthen or weakg the impact of images, and set forth a series of basic approaches and guidelines? This should not stunt the creative growth of a real artist nor will it make a less talented individual into an instant artist. I may need diagrams and formulas to illustrate any of these concepts or theories. They are not inted as the likes of electronic schematic diagrams where an alteration will cause a short circuit.

"Rules" are not a dirty word. Rules in art have many wonderful exceptions. When presenting a workshop I may have a dozen or more folks in a class. Some probably have more artistic talent than I will ever possess, some may have no artistic talent but are good technicians, ad there's everything in between. I just want them all to leeav the class with a few more tools in their box, more awarenessof their own potential, and at least a few important tips or tricks to make their work more efficient and easy to accomplish. Knowledge is power!