Basic Composition

Here are some rules to follow when trying to compose a visually appealing image.

The "famous" Rule of Thirds cuts the frame into thirds. Imagine, equally spaced, two vertical and two horizontal lines across the frame of the image. The points where these meet are interesting places to place objects. Also using one of these lines to place the horizon line is ideal. Just break an image into thirds any way possible and explore the results.

Groups of three are ridiculously visually appealing for some magical reason.

Avoid dead center. Dead center usually result in very...dead looking images. They tend to be boring.

Color can make a dynamic impact on your images. Particularly primary colors, they're strong attention grabbers.

Contrast can make a big difference in the quality of your image. You don't want it to look bland.

Simple is better. An image with a lot going on can be distracting, the viewer doesn't know what to look at. This is especially true for cluttered backgrounds distracting from your subject.

Fill the frame, get closer, focus on what intrigues you or grabbed your attention.

Leading lines, use them to attract the viewers eye to the subject. Diagonal lines work especially well.

Give the face space. Leave more space in front of a face or moving object. It looks awkward when the subject looks as if it has no room to move and is about to smash into the frame.

One last suggestion, break the rules. Forget everything I just told you (but not really). Just go with your gut. If you think it looks good, to hell with everything/everyone else.