Composition: make the frame support your subject

Composition is about where attention goes and how the elements work together. Its default weight is 20%; genre-specific weights can differ. Centering, negative space and tight crops can all work when they serve the photograph.

What REVIEWR grades here

• Subject placement, balance and visual hierarchy
• Lines, shapes and contrast that guide or divert attention
• Edges, background mergers and framing relative to your intent

What strong work looks like

• The intended subject or relationship is easy to read
• Space and cropping reinforce the effect you want
• Background elements contribute without competing unnecessarily

What can weaken the image

• An accidental edge cut that weakens the subject
• A bright background element that steals attention from the intended focal point
• A merger that makes the subject harder to distinguish

Check the change in a linked revision

Choose one issue from the critique and revise with that issue in mind. Use the improved-photo upload on the original critique; you can optionally explain what you changed. Compare both versions and their category feedback, then decide whether the change served the photograph. An unchanged score can still accompany a useful improvement.

The other categories