Look for Lines

Human eyes tend to follow lines as they move around a picture.

Different types of lines and line patterns evoke different emotional reactions.
Horizontal lines impart the qualities of stability, balance and rest.

Sloping lines carry viewers' eyes around this landscape, which was photographed with a large depth-of-field. The downward slope to the left of the clouds and hillside are countered by a zigzag back along the coastline to a further gentle slope up to the left. Diverging lines in the foreground express a feeling of spaciousness yet return the viewer to the heart of the picture. Windmill Beach near Cape Willoughby, Kangaroo Island, Australia. Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 40mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/15 second at f/11.

Vertical lines convey power, dominance and hope, while diagonal lines suggest action; violent action if the lines intersect.

Sloping lines convey action in a particular direction as well as energy and dynamism.
Parallel lines suggest sympathy and understanding, regardless of their direction.

Lines radiating from a central point imply joy and exuberance, while converging lines impart depth and dimension.

The lines needn’t be actual lines; they can arise from a line of trees, the edges of a road, path or track, fences or streams or other similar elements.

[Extract from Landscape Photography eGuide]