A strong composition is the backbone of a strong photograph. So I am always on the lookout for ways to improve my eye for composition. An easy creative exercise you can do to improve your eye for composition is to explore your existing photos with the crop tool. Yes, the humble crop tool!

Here is a creative composition exercise:

Find 3 unique images within your current photo.

All you need to do this is a crop tool. It helps if your photo software supports virtual copies or versions so you can make several variations of your image without duplicating files. Here is an example of three different views of the same scene along the Oregon coast.

Watch the video on this page for a few additional compositions from this photo. A few hints and tips:

• Go freeform on the crop. Do not limit yourself to pre-defined aspect ratios.

• Forget about megapixels. This is a creative exercise. It is OK to crop in super-tight on a small subject in the frame.

• Look for subject groupings or interesting lines in portions of the frame, then isolate them.

And the next time you are in the field with your camera, try capturing multiple compositions in the field. Zoom in on the LCD of your camera and skim around. You might see another composition worth exploring hiding in plain sight!