One way to pull a viewer into your image is to incorporate leading lines. These are elements that come from the edge of the frame and then lead into the image toward the main subject (Figure 9.11). This can be the result of vanishing perspective lines, an element such as a river, or some other feature used to move from the outer edge in to the heart of the image.
Splitting the Frame
Generally speaking, splitting the frame right down the middle is not necessarily your best option. While it may seem more balanced, it can actually be pretty boring. Consider using the rule of thirds when deciding how to divide your frame (Figure 9.12).
Figure 9.11 The bicycle rack leads the eye through the frame toward the bicycle at the very end. This is interesting not only because the bicycle is in the snow, but also because the dark black rack creates a visual contrast against the white snow. The wavy line of the rack helps draw our eye to the bicycle.Figure 9.12 This photo of a dead tree on the beach was taken on Cat Island, Bahamas. By placing the tree in the left third of the frame, it draws your eye down the roots and out the branches to the sand and the ocean. The rule of thirds applies to both vertical and horizontal framing. If the tree had been in the middle, the eyes would not have anywhere to travel in the frame, creating a boring image. Framing the image in the left third makes the image more visually appealing.
With horizons, a low horizon will give a sense of stability to the image. Typically, this is done when the sky is more appealing than the landscape below. When the emphasis is to be placed on the landscape, the horizon line should be moved upward in the frame, leaving the bottom two-thirds to the subject below (Figure 9.13).
Figure 9.13 I placed the horizon in the bottom third of the frame with the sky taking up most of the top twothirds. This helps balance the frame, and also let me capture the active sky. While the barn is in the middle of the frame, the photo remains well balanced from top to bottom because of the use of the rule of thirds.
