geir__

I’m interested in how people on the forum compose photos.
I have a multi-stage approach.
I have my camera set up with a rule-of-thirds grid in the viewfinder, with my focus point typically around the top left or top right intersection.
Then I take lots of photos to get one shot - sometimes 50 or 100.
I’ll go through them in Lightroom looking for the ones where my subjects are interacting with each other or the camera, where there’s a story and emotion to what they’re doing.
Then I’ll crop using one of the Lightroom composition overlays. I use the spiral a lot, and then diagonals or rule of thirds.
This picture was cropped using the spiral.

Here’s a slightly more detailed Golden Ratio spiral overlaid onto it:

Interestingly in this case the spiral also works in the other main orientations

 
 
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Taking the dog to the vets.
Fujifilm X70

 
 
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Two principles in this one: a triangle made by the three faces, and within the faces you have a sort of ‘odd one out’ thing going on: two human faces, with glasses, in profile, both looking at (and leading the viewer’s eye towards) a dog face, which is looking directly at the camera.
Camera: Fujifilm X70

A lot has already been said, and you seem to had finally found what you needed. But just in case someone has the same question... I have both lenses, and I wouldn't say one is better than the other, as they both serve a different purpose.
 
The 55-200 is a great zoom lens. The IQ is very good, judging by my recent tests. If you just need a light telephoto lens (compared to other options) with a good image quality and don't need WR, go for this lens. When I go hiking in Bavaria, I usually take the 14mm and the 55-200 lens, and I'm a happy man!
 
The 18-135 is another story. It reminds me a bit of the Nikon 18-200, which was a very versatile lens. As someone said above, it's a Swiss army knife! The WR, the OIS, the versatile focal range... it's a great companion for travel. I think it's a good lens, globally speaking. It's definitely not bad, and it's not the best either, but it works well. I have made some pretty nice pictures with it.
 
I would definitely bring the 18-135 to a "once in a lifetime trip" -- but it depends where! If it involves a lot of nature, like in a demanding environment, then yes. I don't want to change lens in the middle of a desert or jungle, and I might need to do alternate landscape and wildlife shots. But if I'm going to a nice city, like New York, where I would occasionally need some reach, then I would take the 55-200 instead. And probably use my X100T (+WCL) for most of the shots (mostly street) and the 14mm for the landscape shots. 
 
Also, I believe that what matters most in a once in a lifetime trip is not image quality, but the ability to catch moments. And the 18-135 gives you far more versatility and flexibility in that regards, due to the focal range and the WR. Sure, you might loose a bit of image quality down to the pixel level, but who cares? You were here, you made a nice picture of a beautiful place... it's all that matters
 
A few examples with the 18-135:
 

 

 

 

 
 
With the 55-200:
 

 

 

Napa Valley, California with 23f2 

Bolsa Chica, California with 23f2

with 23f2, lonely walk in the wilderness

Hi

A few pics from a pro-cycling competition in Quebec City,  it was a criterium, a 70 km race on a 2 km urban track for a total of 35 laps, these type of races are great since you get lots of opportunities for some good shots. 
It was the fifth stage of the Tour de Beauce, here is what Wikipedia says about the event: "Tour de Beauce is a men's elite professional road bicycle race multi-day event held each June in the Beauce region of Québec, Canada since 1986. Tour de Beauce is a Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)-rated 2.2 continental circuit stage race on the UCI America Tour."
 
Shot with a X-T1 + XF50-140 + XF1.4TC, most of the time @196mm f4
AFC with Zone tracking (3x3 grid, central points), drive on CH (8 fps)
Raw, PP in LR 6.6 and the Nik Collection....

The Flickr Album (33 pics): https://flic.kr/s/aHskywHsoS
 
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