The areas of tones are called masses and, whatever the subject of picture may be, its success as a picture depends very largely on the effectiveness … - Arthur Hammond

To learn to see pictorially is the first essential duty of the would-be picture-maker.

The function of composition is to make a picture interesting, and the disposition of the lines in the picture, the opposition of lines, and their placing in the picture-space will all help in giving the desired interest.

The very word composition, defined as the "the act of composing; putting together; arranging in proper order," implies that the picture-maker must do something besides setting up his camera and letting it photograph just what happens before it.