Composition & Recropping

There's no right or proper way to compose a photo. You're the one telling the story, so how the photo looks is entirely up to you and your vision. You might choose to move your subject to show more background, or move yourself to get a different perspective.

It's good to keep the rule of thirds in mind when composing, but sometimes you need to throw those rules out the window and just tell the story you want to tell. You're not being graded, so do what you want. Just be able to explain why you did it in case somebody asks.

For professional work, I typically shoot a little wider than I would prefer the final product to be. This makes it easier to crop to the size the client prefers. Most cameras produce images with an aspect ratio perfect for a 4X6 or 8x12, but if the client wants an 8X10 or 11X14, I have to be able to recrop the photo without losing my composition.

You have to be able to tell the same story regardless of the dimensions of the final product.