Cropping and extending.

For this i cropped 3 of my own images to see what effect this had on the composition.

This is the uncropped image. The subject seems 'drowned' in the centre.

In this cropped version the dogs draw the eye faster and keep the gaze longer.

In this church scene there is a lot to catch the eye and the composition is quite boring.

In this crop the candles angle draws the eye towards the font where it is held. This is a much improved image with the crop.

This graveyard scene has a lot of interest but too much free space at the top and bottom.

This crop solves that problem, still showing all the necessary features.

These are all examples of how a good crop can greatly improve an image. In all cases, the second image is more successful at drawing and keeping interest within the frame.