Many photographers are under the impression that aperture and shutter speed only have to do with correct exposure and little, if anything, to do with composition. However, a wrong aperture or shutter speed can literally destroy an otherwise successful composition.

How is that possible? Let’s begin with one of the biggest truths about photographic composition: the fundamental rule of visual weight. Visual weight can be described as the contrast between what is in focus and what is not in focus. Clearly, a difference exists. If something is in focus, it’s important; if it’s not in focus, then it’s not as important. That sounds simple enough, yet the lack of attention given this basic law of composition is evident every week at my online photography school—even in the advanced classes. So the obvious question is this: How do you control the visual weight of any given composition? It’s all about lens, focus, and aperture.