For me, the integral part of photo composition is arranging of subjects. No, I don't mean physically placing in order the subjects to be photographed. (Some are a little too heavy or strongly-footed to be moved, especially in a landscape.)
But, selecting a point from which things appear to occupy different parts of the frame. Closer ones are bigger. Ones with more light falling on them are brighter. Ones that are at the focus-point of the lens are sharper. And they all stand a better chance of being looked at (in the photo) before others. If there is a distinct path in a picture along which most viewers' eyes move involuntarily while savouring the visual elements, I would consider the picture at least neat, at most very appealing.
Here on St Kilda beach, the sun was setting. The light however wasn't not low enough for a long exposure shot to 'weave' the water. An ND8 filter with the smallest aperture gave me an ample 10s period. True to my liking, what water! I raised the colour temperature to accentuate the pink tones of the sunset.
Let's look. The broken branch is the entry point. That's where we are taken to begin. Because it's nearest & biggest. Then, most eyes will wander around the row of rocks and the surreal-looking water surrounding them in the mid-ground. And at last, many will end up gazing at the far-away line of boats and the sky behind them partially tinged with the setting sun. Some might repeat the order again.
Now, that is the path! Or, at least that's how I wish it to be.
Location: St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia
Camera: Nikon D300
Lens: Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR
ISO: 100
Exposure: 10s
Aperture: f/25
Focal Length: 22mm
Filter: ND8
Flash: No
Tripod: Yes
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