Part One: Fundamental Composition Guides And Tools -- Framing: Put an Edge around It -- Landscape Format -- Portrait Format -- Turn at an Angle -- Points of Thirds -- Geometry Can be a Pleasure -- Leading Lines Direct Attention -- Diagonal Lines Can Add Movement, Interest, and Vitality -- Symmetry Can Delight the Eye -- Capturing the Decisive Moment -- Punctuation Points In your Photographs -- Capture a Gesture at the "Decisive Moment" -- Angles Are Like an Authors Choice of Words -- Viewpoint: How You See Your Subject -- Steelyard Composition Is Balanced -- "L" Shape Composition -- Grouped Shape Composition -- Three Spot Composition -- Silhouette Composition -- Tunnel Composition -- Patterns Can Be Engaging -- The Golden Ratio Proportions -- S-Curve Composition Leads the Eye Gracefully -- Circular or "O" Composition Invites the Eye to Stay Within -- U-Composition Invites You to Look Within -- Triangle Composition Provides Stability and Strength -- Radiating Lines Lead to the Center of Interest -- Cross Composition and Eye Movement -- Balance Scale Composition -- Find Contrast In Your Image -- Fill the Frame by Getting Close to Your Subjects -- Pull Back to Capture the Story -- Place Dominant Eye in the Center of the Photo -- Use Color as a Powerful Composition Tool -- Part Two: Composition Lines That Convey Moods In Your Image Mood Lines Convey Feelings or States of Mind -- Active -- Passive -- Structural, solid, strong -- Nonstructural, fluid, soft -- Stable -- Unstable -- Stable -- Unstable -- Positive, bold, forceful -- Tenuous, uncertain, wavering -- The vertical -- noble, dramatic, inspirational, aspiring -- The horizontal -- earthy, calm, mudane, satisfied -- Primitive, simple, bold -- Effusive -- Flamboyant -- Refined -- Jagged, brutal, hard, vigorous, masculine, picturesque -- Curvilinear, tender, soft, pleasant, feminine, beautiful -- Rough, rasping, grating -- Smooth, swelling, sliding -- Decreasing, contracting -- Increasing, expanding -- Dynamic -- Static, focal, fixed -- In motion -- Meandering, casual, relaxed, interesting, human -- Erratic, bumbling, chaotic, confused -- Logical, planned, orderly -- Flowing, rolling -- Formal, priestly, imperious, dogmatic -- Rising, optimistic, successful, happy -- Falling, pessimistic, defeated, depressed -- Indecisive, weak -- Progressive, weak -- Progressive -- Regressive -- Rise, attainment with effort, improvement -- Fall, sinking without effort, improvement -- Indirect, plodding -- Concentrating, assembling -- Dispersing, Fleeing -- Broken, interrupted, severed -- Direct, sure, forceful, with purpose -- Opposing -- Connecting crossing -- Parallel, opposing with harmony -- Excited, nervous, jittery -- Opposing with friction -- Diverging, dividing -- Growing, developing -- Part Three: Putting Your Tools Together and Final Tips.

There's a common misconception that composition is mysterious and that only certain people have that natural gift for the techniques involved. The truth is that composition involves a set of skills that you can master. Just as you can use cookbook recipes to make your favorite meal--you don't have to be a famous French chef--you also can take amazing photos by just following a recipe! Marc Silber has spent years studying the works of masters and interviewing some of the biggest names in photography. Now he can provide you with simple and easy-to-follow recipes for creating photographs that you and others will love! The Secrets to Creating Amazing Photos puts at your fingertips ideas for improving your skills by giving you easy-to-follow "recipes" that will improve your photography right now! Take your photography to the next level: Composition is one of the biggest keys to creating photos that others will love. No matter what kind of camera or smartphone you're using, you can take your photography to the next level and beyond by learning composition tools and secrets known to the masters of the art.