The picture tells you what to do next. Photography, painting, design......there are rules, but not really. We can learn certain things about composition and these generally help us understand that order can bring stability and focus to an image. And for people struggling with learning to see within the context of the four borders we call the frame, learning how to fill the frame with only the essential elements to convey the story that is trying to be told, these rules are great to practice and practice and practice. I think we often start out simply with the rule of thirds. This is an attempt to stop us from putting our subject in dead center all the time. Its a good rule....well let me rephrase that--its a good guideline to consider. I hate thinking of something as a rule. I often see the rules of composition seemingly dismissed, yet the image is powerful---how does that work? Recently a friend made the statement that when the composition is good no one talks about the composition. To go beyond that--when the picture works and conveys information or leads your around the frame to gather more and more information...there is no need to talk about the composition. I often begin working on a painting or a design for my business with no real idea where its going...I start and the picture begins telling me what it needs. Sometimes its loud and clear what it needs, other times it sorta whispers while facing the other direct and is up wind and impossible to hear....but I keep listening and eventually hear it....sometimes what its telling me is to quit, but mostly it just gives me a direction towards louder voices and I arrive at a finished piece. I'm not always sure when I'm done if I accomplished what the picture needs, but we do come to an understanding and move on. That was the case today, since I have piles of work to do I realized that this fulfills the goal--it is its own unique design for its own team...I'll decide later on if I like it. I'm not sure if I ever like anything when I first make it. It has to grow on me. The picture has to tell me its ok! SayerMotter Photography Sports Memory Mate by Richard Sayer.