Here is another example of the power of foreground interest and its effect on the overall composition. One day I found myself in an area of Seattle where graffiti artists are given free rein to practice their art. With my camera set up at the end of a very colorful wooden deck, I captured the first image, which creates depth by emphasizing the lines of the wooden planks. But since lines lead the eye, it is best if they lead the eye to something, and in this case there was no “something.” I thought it would be cool to include someone’s foot in the foreground, but since there was no one whose foot I could use, I used my own hand instead. With the camera’s self-timer engaged, I sat on the deck just out of camera range with only my hand and wrist in the frame. In a side-by-side comparison, it’s fair to say that the use of an immediate foreground subject creates a far more compelling composition. And if we break it down further, my hand and wrist are nothing more than line and texture.

Nikon D3X with 16–35mm lens at 20mm f/16 for 1/125 sec., ISO 200