Composition: where you put things, and why it works

Composition is the single fastest thing to improve, which is why it carries 20% of your REVIEWR score. It is not about rules — it is about controlling where a viewer looks first, second and last.

What REVIEWR grades here

• Where the subject sits in the frame and how much room it is given
• Whether lines, shapes and contrast lead the eye toward the subject or away from it
• Balance and visual weight across the frame
• What the edges and corners do — merges, clipped limbs, distracting bright spots
• Whether the crop ratio serves the subject

What strong work looks like

• You can name the subject within half a second of seeing the frame
• Nothing in the corners competes with the subject
• Negative space is a decision, not an accident
• Removing any element would make the photo worse

What costs you points

• Centring by default rather than by choice
• A tilted horizon with no intent behind it
• Background poles, branches or signs growing out of a subject
• Too much empty foreground because the camera stayed at eye level

The other categories