100718-F-2319R-001, originally uploaded by U.S. Department of Defense Current Photos.

Draw the lines vertically, horizontally or diagonally — the subject’s face, in this case, is dead center. Yet this is a pretty strong composition due to the juxtaposition of mass – the tree balancing the troops – and several imaginary lines leading to the subject. Add good depth-of-field work, color, and the expression on the cadet’s face, and this comes off as an excellent storytelling image.

U.S. Air Force Academy basic cadets crawl down a hill while navigating the assault course in Jacks Valley in Colorado July 18, 2010. Cadets spend about two weeks in Jacks Valley learning how to work as a team to conduct military operations. (DoD photo by Dennis Rogers, U.S. Air Force/Released)

Photo File: Determination and depth, originally uploaded by Utter East.

U.S. Army Pfc. Jennifer Eldridge, from 12th Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB), pauses for a moment during the Joint Multinational Training Command (JMTC) Best Warrior Competition 2010 on Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, June 9, 2010. (U.S. Army photo by Gertrud Zach/Released).

Framing the face. Rule of thirds in the position of the eye. Shallow depth of field to minimize background distraction. Expression of determination. Have I spoiled the magic for you? Not likely. Excellent capture.

 Original (and larger version) at http://www.defenseimagery.mil/imagery.html#a=search&s=best%20warrior&guid=e8f5e04f9056dce2e803143590718df2bb32924d

1. Go to the Add Search Providers to Internet Explorer page (select “Find More Providers” in the search window on your browser).

2. In the yellow “create your own” box, under step 3, insert the following code: http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=TEST&ss=0&ct=0&mt=all&w=35703177%40N00&adv=1

3. In block 4, name it something memorable, like “Flickr search: Army photos.”

4. Click install.

This limits the search to Army images on Flickr, and it begins right on your browser. Your custom search will appear as one of the choices in your browser’s search window.

Red, White, and Blue, originally uploaded by The U.S. Army.

The Fort Hood story in one photo: the scope of the tragedy, who the fallen were, how the military remembers its own.

FORT HOOD, Texas- The remains of the Nov. 5 massacre victims at Fort Hood are loaded aboard an aircraft before being flown to Dover Air Force Base, Del. Twelve Soldiers and one civilian were killed Nov. 6 at the post’s Soldier Readiness Processing Center. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. John Ortiz)

Striking image courtesy low angle and light. Highly emotional until you realize the victim is simply a dummy used for combat lifesaver training.

Keeping warm in Afghanistan , originally uploaded by Army.mil.

You feel cold just looking at him, thanks to a great capture of expression and early-morning lighting.

U.S. Army Sgt. Nathan Schrock tries to keep warm after waking up on a cold morning in the mountains near Sar Howza in Paktika province, Afghanistan, Sept. 4, 2009. Schrock is assigned to the 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Andrew Smith

090902-N-4031K-003, originally uploaded by U.S. Department of Defense Current Photos.

Shooting seconds earlier, and from a different angle, MCS2 Steven Khor avoided the cliche homecoming shot. The close-up of a teary-eyed embrace can be sweet, but how often do we put ourselves on autopilot after two dozen similar events? Keep looking. Try breaking habits even if they “work”: kneel when you usually stand; get permission to get close and use a wide-angle when you usually hang back with a 400mm lens.

U.S. Navy Cmdr. Gerald Hansen, commander of the “Dambusters” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 195, greets his daughter and son during a homecoming celebration for Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5 at Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan, Sept. 2, 2009. CVW-5 returned to Japan after a four-month deployment aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73). (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Steven Khor, U.S. Navy/Released)

PS: Yes, I can see the horizon is crooked. To level this image in Photoshop would have cut off too many elements.  The composition gets almost everything else right. I’d run this in my paper.

Weightlifting in Iraq, originally uploaded by Army.mil.

An unusual angle and the look of effort on the subject’s face make this a good compositional choice. Wide angle makes this possible, but also magnifies the slight tilt – something that could easily be fixed in Photoshop.

A U.S. Soldier from 2nd Platoon, Bravo Troop, 1st Battalion, 150th Armored Reconnaissance Squadron, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, from Bluefield, W.Va, lifts weights at Camp Yusifiyah, in central Iraq, Aug. 16.
Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Edwin L. Wriston

090729-F-2501B-055, originally uploaded by U.S. Department of Defense Current Photos.

Good use of leading lines to bring attention to a subject. Creative, but it leaves me wondering why it isn’t as attention-grabbing in full size as it is in a thumbnail. Distractions, I believe. The truck’s parking lights are part of it, but the culprit is the big, glowing door parked exactly 1/3 of the way from the top – the strongest point in the composition. That said, I’d probably use this as the single illustration for a story or as an establishing shot for a group.

U.S. Airmen from the 161st Air Refueling Wing unload their baggage as they arrive to a deployed location in Southwest Asia July 29, 2009. The 161st ARW supports aerial refueling in support of operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. (DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Robert Barney, U.S. Air Force/Released)

Two days of hell, nine men of valor, originally uploaded by Army.mil.

This looked like a weak photo to include in a photo set — then I realized the photo was not the point.
Technically, it’s almost perfect – pleasing outdoor sun, well-exposed shadows*, no one caught with a goofy expression, nice telephoto compression. I would have liked to see more of the Soldier on the left. And the caption, “Two days of hell, nine men of valor,” leaves you scratching your head until you study the cutline. Things add up to nine in the last sentence, and it’s not explicit. And, since it is a ceremony shot, you really don’t know what the guys did unless you read the cutline.
And then you realize the point is not the photo, but the story behind it. No action shot exists (as far as I know). Everyone involved was far too busy with a trigger (or a radio) to worry about a shutter button.
So we’re left with a photo of the award ceremony – one missing a third of the honorees. So to do them honor one takes the best picture one can, because to let a story go without some kind of illustration would consign it to the back page.
An editor would rather see action than a ceremony, but in the end the photographer and editor made the right choice – to call attention to nine heroes through the best photo one could take. I like it better every minute.

Soldiers of Company B, 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), stand in formation following a valor award ceremony in which two received the Bronze Star Medal with “V” device and four received the Army Commendation Medal with “V” device. Three other Soldiers also earned the Bronze Star for valor.

Story here: Two days of hell, nine men of valor”

*updated with the correct term.