{Originally posted at Beyond Megapixels.}
first appeared on Blog Nosh Magazine on June 26, 2008

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One of the most important things your photo should have is an ability to hold your viewers attention. There are a lot of techniques that can be used to help you compose your shot so that people will spend more than a second looking at it. Besides keeping your viewers focused on your photo, the techniques below can also help emphasis your main subject.

There are many ways to hold your viewer’s attention. Here are five that you can easily start off with:

1. VIGNETTE

A vignette is a gradual loss of light and picture quality towards the
edge of the photo due to poor lens construction. Although it is
considered a lens aberration, a vignette is helpful in drawing the
viewer’s attention towards the center of the photo. It also adds
character to a photo since it makes it look like it was taken with an
old camera.

CC Photo by australian overanalyzer

To add a vignette to an existing photo with Adobe Photoshop, refer to our previous article found here.

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2. SHOOT THROUGH A FRAME

This is probably one of the oldest tricks in the book. You simply choose an
object you can shoot through that frames your main subject.

CC Photo by Jakeliefer

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3. LEADING LINES

Lines can also help draw your viewer in since the tendency of the eye is to
follow the direction of prominent lines that it sees.

CC Photo by mugley

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4. FILL THE FRAME

Don’t be afraid to get close. Sometimes a few steps forward is all it takes
to make a good picture great. If the subject is interesting then show
your viewers why by filling your frame with it.

CC photo by Sukanto Debnath

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5. BREAK A PATTERN

The human eye is always drawn to patterns and whatever breaks a pattern
will automatically stand out. Place your subject against a pattern and
see how much the subject stands out and how the surrounding pattern
holds everything together.

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Editor’s Pick by Angella from Dutch Blitz:
Lisa and her husband Jeff are not only Canon aficionados such as I, they have a way of teaching people how to take better photos without coming off as condescending.  They are both smart and savvy, and share what they are learning in a way that inspires you to take better photos.

Read more of Beyond Megapixels and be sure to subscribe so you never miss any of their sweet photography tips.

Read the original post, as well the rest of their site.  You will not be disappointed.  I promise.