Composition

How the elements are arranged in your photograph.

Rule of Thirds

Compositional guideline that breaks an image down into thirds (both horizontally and vertically).

Power Points

The red dots on the intersecting lines of a rule of thirds grid. These dots signify where to place the main elements of your subject.

Negative Space

The empty areas around your subject.

Subject

The person/object/thing that is the focal point of your photograph.

Level Horizon

The photography concept that things that should naturally be horizontal should be horizontal, not tilted.

Fill the Frame

When the subject of a photo fills the camera screen and makes the subject the most important thing.

Optical Zoom

Moves the camera lens farther from the image sensor, magnifying the image that reaches the sensor without decreasing the resolution or image quality.

Digital Zoom

Shoots a cropped view of the image and then enlarges it to fill the frame by making the pixels larger. Can result in a blurry, blocky appearance.

Background

The area around and behind the subject.