Use visual lines to structure your composition and guide the viewer's eyes. They can also serve to refer to an element in a photo.

Determine the orientation of the frame, horizontal or vertical. Our eyes are stimulated to move from left to right, and from top to bottom. Use this to emphasize height or wideness.

Framing allows you to emphasize a specific part of the photo. It's like a picture within a picture. It can help create order out of chaos.

Use layers, a foreground, center and background. This gives the picture depth and guides the eye. Connects the layers thoughtfully.

Think about the distance from your subject. Capture the essence and remove remaining parts. Look at the world differently and not as we perceive it every day.

Make sure everything is in balance. This ensures peace and harmony. Breaking the balance in an undisturbed or subtle way can make the whole thing more interesting.

Do not place your subject directly in the center. The rule of thirds, an imaginary grid of thirds, indicates alternate positions. This makes the composition more spontaneous.

Conscious use of many elements in the photo. Make sure they all work together in some way. Avoid passive areas.

Use few elements in the photo. This creates a form of peace. Give the empty spaces a function. Achieving more with less is the message.

Understand that these guidelines can be used independently of each other and should never be more important than the essence of the photo. They can help create a good composition. In time, your experience and intuition will reduce the need for these tools.