Look around and photograph the stuff you like!

I want to improve my photography compositions. Sometimes I feel like placing subjects in the rule-of-thirds is the only trick in my bag. So recently I watched a collection of tutorial videos by Mike Browne on YouTube, and while I don't think he's the greatest photographer ever, I found the content helpful and motivating. Check out the embedded video below if you're interested in seeing more.

Here's a shot I took a few days ago in Crescent Beach, Florida that I wouldn't have gotten before watching the tutorial series. I liked the shape of the building from the angle I was standing, but it was surrounded by clutter like cars, street signs, and other buildings. Instead of just lifting the camera and snapping a photo, Mike's tutorials got me thinking outside the box enough to experiment with pointing the camera upward, which removed the distractions and let me choose exactly what I wanted in the frame.

I think the image succeeds in telling an interesting story. The balconies all face one direction, meaning maybe people enjoy the view from that side of the building. The palm tree lets you know the location is tropical. Maybe it's at the beach! And the balconies are in shade while the side of the building is lit up with sunlight, which to me feels like late afternoon. Maybe the day at the beach is coming to an end and everybody's tired and ready for a siesta.

Visually, I like that the palm tree's irregular, organic shape breaks up the clean lines of the building.

Mike Browne's YouTube tutorials: