Photographs often attempt to convey an emotion or story. Several ways exist to make a photo compelling. (Caveat: this photo barely exemplifies the “rules”. I’ll find a better one for each rule.)
Rule of Thirds (suggested, not really a rule)
Because the human eye (in English-speaking countries, primarily) more readily goes to a point about two-thirds up a page, divide a photo into nine blocks and place the main subject(s) on the intersection points rather than in the center of the image.
Landscapes could look more pleasing to the eye using the Rule of Thirds and a low or high horizon line.
The Rule of Thirds means that the frame can be divided into three horizontal sections and three vertical sections. The intersection of the horizontal and vertical lines makes an ideal location for the more important parts of one’s picture. By locating the main subject at one of the four intersections, the subject has more emphasis than if it were in the middle of the picture. (Picture Control)
And, if the area of interest is land or water, the horizon line could look best, according to suggested rules of composition, two-thirds up from the bottom. If the sky is the area of emphasis, the horizon line could appear one-third up from the bottom, leaving the sky to take up the top two-thirds of the picture. (Photography composition)
Diagonal lines
Diagonal lines generally work well to draw the eye of an image’s viewer through the photograph. They create points of interest as they intersect with other lines and often give images depth by suggesting perspective.
They can also add a sense of action to an image and add a dynamic looks and feel. Also, rather than making a line go from the very corner to the opposite corner it’s often good to make them off-center and lead to either side of corners. “As with both horizontal and vertical lines, diagonal lines that are repeated through out an image can create very effective patterns that can easily become the subject of a photograph themselves. A recently plowed field or the ridges on a sand dune might be good examples of this.”
Read more about diagonal lines here.
Leading lines
A good leading line lures the eye deeper into a picture or to an important subject. Straight, curved, parallel, or diagonal lines help to promote interest. Examples include roads, rivers, streams, bridges, branches, or fences–lines with perspectives or vanishing points.
Lines pull one into the picture, toward the subject, or on a journey ‘through’ the scene. There are many different types of line—straight, diagonal, curvy, zigzag, radial, etc., and each can be used to enhance the composition.
–more tk–