You must become thoroughly familiar with the camera and learn how the operation of each control alters the image.  Experiment  with  the  camera  and  look  at  the results carefully to see if they meet your expectations. With experience and knowledge of your equipment, you begin to “think through your camera” so you are free to concentrate on composition. Devote serious study to the principles of good composition. Study books and magazine articles on composition. You should analyze various media: motion pictures, TV, magazines, books and newspapers, and evaluate what you see. What is good about this picture or that TV image? What is bad about it? What principles of good composition could you apply in a different way to make the picture better. Good or correct composition is impossible to define precisely. There are no hard-and-fast rules to follow that ensure good composition in every photograph. There are only the principles and elements that provide a means of  achieving  pleasing  composition  when  applied properly. Some of these principles and elements are as follows: Center of interest Subject placement Simplicity Viewpoint  and  camera  angle Balance Shapes  and  lines Pattern Volume Lighting Texture Tone Contrast Framing Foreground Background Perspective As you study these principles of composition, you should soon come to a realization that some are very similar  and  overlap  one  another  a  great  deal. Because all or most of these principles must be considered and applied each time you take a picture, it may all seem quite confusing at first. With experience you can develop a sense of composition, and your consideration  and  application  of  the  principles  will become almost second nature. This is not to suggest that you can allow yourself to become complacent or careless   in   the   application   of   the   principles   of composition. Doing so will be immediately obvious because the results you produce will be snapshots, not professional   photographs. The principles of composition that follow apply equally  to  both  still  and  motion  media  photography. CENTER  OF  INTEREST Each picture should have only one principal idea, topic, or center of interest to which the viewer's eyes are attracted.  Subordinate  elements  within  the  picture  must support and focus attention on the principal feature so it alone  is  emphasized. A picture without a dominant center of interest or one with more than one dominant center of interest is puzzling to a viewer. Subsequently, the viewer becomes confused and wonders what the picture is all about. When the picture has one, and only one, dominant “point of  interest,”  the  viewer  quickly  understands  the  picture. NOTE: “Point of interest,” as used here, has the same meaning as center of interest; however, using the term point of interest prevents giving the impression that the center of interest should be located in the center of the  picture. The specific topic, idea, or object to be portrayed must be set in your mind as you prepare to take a picture. When  there  is  nothing  in  the  picture  to  attract  attention to a particular area or object, the eyes wander throughout the scene. The center of interest may be a single object or numerous ones arranged so attention is directed to one definite area When the center of interest is a single object that fills most of the picture area or one that stands out boldly, such as a white sail against a background of dark water, attention is attracted immediately to it. As may be expected, not all subjects are as simple to arrange or as bold  and  impressive. A photographer usually has at his or her disposal many factors or elements that can be used and arranged within the picture area to draw or direct attention to the primary idea of the picture. Some of these elements are lines, shapes, human figures, tone, and texture. Human  figures  attract  attention  more  strongly  than almost  any  other  subject  matter  and  unless  they  are  the 5-6