The basic principle behind the rule of thirds is to imagine breaking an image down into thirds (both horizontally and vertically) so that you have 9 parts. The theory is that if you place points of interest in the intersections or along the lines that your photo becomes more balanced and will enable a viewer of the image to interact with it more naturally.

Leading lines are lines within an image that leads the eye to another point in the image, or occasionally, out of the image. Anything with a definite line can be a leading line. Fences, bridges, even a shoreline can lead the eye.

Of all the lines used in

photography, diagonals are the most dynamic. You can use them to create a strong impression of movement or you can use them to create a tremendous sense of depth.

Framing is simply using other objects in your photograph to frame the main subject. This is probably one of the easier composition techniques in photography. Framing brings more depth to the picture and a better focus on what the main subject is.

Figure Ground Relationship is a clear distinction between figure and ground. A light figure on a dark background, or a dark figure on a light background.

Fill the frame refers to the edges of the photograph or your cameras viewfinder, so filling the frame means to make the subject(s) a significant part of your final photograph.

Centre dominant eye is when you line the camera up with

the person’s dominant eye this gives a feeling of following and also allows you to get more detail of the person.

Repetition refers to one object or shape repeated; pattern is a combination of elements or shapes repeated in a recurring and regular arrangement

Symmetry refers to a line that splits an object in half and, if both sides of the object are an exact mirror image of each other.