Composition tips?

[dalias]

Hey everyone!

I just came back from a trip to Newfoundland and had fun taking pictures of the beautiful landscapes with my iPhone 4. While doing so, I realized I was playing with only a few composition variables, like basic subject positioning and framing, frame rotation, shot-countershot, juxtaposed background-foreground to main subject. I guess there are better technical terms to describe these variables? What other variables do you use to explore the potential compositions you can make with a subject you've identified?

Also, what exactly is the rule of thirds? I know we're supposed to align the points of interest in the photograph with the imaginary lines' intersections. Is this all what the rule of thirds is about? I'm having trouble understanding what exact part of a picture I should try to position on these lines' intersections (edges, eyes, center of subject?). Any thoughts on that?

Here are a few of my (edited) shots:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

I've been to this forum before, a long time ago, but now I see that the whole website has changed and they even deleted my old account, probably because it was inactive for a while. So now I'm back as a newbie, eager to improve my photography skills!

Any help, comment, critique, tips, is much appreciated.
Cya around!

 

[Kbarredo]

google

 

[AgentDrex]

#4 is good for Rule of Thirds even with the angled horizon

 

[KenC]

The rule of thirds very often works, but it's best not to take it too seriously. The most important lesson from it is to try to avoid having important elements dead center in the frame. They can be disposed about the center and not at the intersection points, and the image can still work quite well.

If you read about composition in art generally, an important consideration is balance. In #1 and #2, there is a large mass on the left, which would require for balance either a large mass on the right, or something on the right which has an impact disproportionate to its size, due to e.g., being closer to the camera, being brighter, etc. The first two don't work for me because they are unbalanced. There is a dark mass on the right in the first one, but it is too far away to help much. Balance also is a "rule" that doesn't always apply, but sometimes it explains why an image doesn't quite work.