Beyond the rule of thirds, several classic composition ideas can strengthen landscape photos:

• Leading lines: Use roads, shorelines, fences, rivers, or ridges to guide the viewer’s eye toward the main subject.
• Foreground interest: Include rocks, flowers, textures, or other nearby elements to add depth when photographing distant scenery.
• Framing: Use branches, arches, or other natural features to frame the scene.
• Subject isolation: Make the main element stand out through focus, color contrast, depth, or placement.
• Diagonals: Diagonal lines often make an image feel more dynamic than horizontal or vertical arrangements.
• Perspective: Experiment with camera position and angle. Moving higher, lower, or closer can change the whole composition; forced perspective can also be effective.
• Golden ratio: Another classic alternative to thirds that can create balanced compositions.

Also, composition is closely related to light and viewpoint. Visiting at better times of day—early morning or late evening—and exploring different vantage points can improve the result as much as any rule.

A useful approach is to study painting composition as well, since many photographic composition principles come from art.