I've always been interested what makes one photo more appealing than another. Sure, a strong, interesting subject draws attention. So does a vivid color, a nice pattern or a mood and a feeling. But there is more at work.
Subconsciously, we humans a drawn to lines and shapes. Using effecting cropping, we can bring out the important elements in our photos and lead the viewer's eye through the scene.
That's where the Overlay Tool in Lightroom can be useful.
I use 3 Overlays when cropping my photos: Golden Ratio, Golden Triangle and the Golden Spiral. Which one I settle on just depends on the image.
The Golden Raito is similar to the Rule of Thirds Overlay in that it divides up the photo into thirds, making it handy to place the subject off-center for a more pleasing final result. The Golden Raito places the 2 horizontal lines a bit tighter together than the Rule of Thirds, allowing for just a slightly different crop.
Using the Golden Triangle you can feature diagonal lines in your image. Diagonals add a feeling of action, while triangles are very pleasing to the eye.
Then there is the Golden Spiral, also called the Fibonacci Spiral. When using this crop, place your subject near the center of the spiral and let your viewer's eye trace a line around the photo. To me, it is a very pleasing and makes for a balanced image.
Which crop pleases your eye?