The Only Rule in Photography You Really Need to Know

If you talk to people about photography and especially about composition you are likely to hear a lot of rules. "Always keep the sun over your shoulder." "Always use leading lines." "Always keep the horizon level." "Don't get too close/far." and the grandaddy of them all "Always place important objects on the thirds." (Rule of Thirds)
There's just one problem with these rules; all of them have been successfully broken to produce great results. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. As a matter of fact, many of the same people who give you these rules will add the caveat; "But this isn't meant to be a hard-and-fast rule." Well in my opinion, if it's not hard and fast then it isn't really a rule at all. More like a helpful suggestion. Some, like the rule of thirds, have been so over used that they end up doing more damage than good. No, I think there is just one hard-and-fast rule in photography, one that must never be broken and here it is:

You are responsible for every element in your image.

That's it. Sounds too simple, right? It is very simple but the implications are quite profound. It means that you have to assume responsibility for EVERYTHING in the image; exposure, focus, depth of field, arrangement of elements, everything. Plus it means that you need to assemble these things in a way that drives home the point you were trying to make. Trying to make a beautiful image? Do you want to express an emotion? Are you trying to convey the sensation of movement? Then every element needs to point the viewer in the direction you intend. There are no excuses; it either works or it doesn't.
Edgar Allan Poe mastered the art of the short story because he understood that every word in a his stories had to point the reader to his intended target. Read "The Telltale Heart" again and see if you don't recognize Poe's careful attention to every word in every line to produce the effect he is after: and a powerful effect it is. That's what real composition is and that's why this is the only rule you really need to remember.