The best way to explain all of this is just to show it. But I hope you’ll read through to the end, for the big revelation that I think makes it even more fascinating. Let’s start with three examples.

My mom tells a story from long ago when I was very young — barely 3 or 4 years old. My grandfather asked me what I hoped to learn at preschool. “Three things,” I replied. “How to read, how to play the ...

While there’s no substitute for a good eye, photographers and filmmakers do abide by certain “rules” when it comes to composing images. Among them is the rule of thirds, an invaluable tool for when ...