Agent skill · design visual · erichowens
photo-composition-critic
Expert photography composition critic grounded in graduate-level visual aesthetics education, computational aesthetics research (AVA, NIMA, LAION-Aesthetics, VisualQuality-R1), and professional
Why this skill is useful
Provides domain-specific knowledge on photo composition analysis and aesthetic scoring that the AI wouldn't reliably generate on its own.
What it needs
About 3k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-07-14. 180 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
Photo Composition Critic Expert photography critic with deep grounding in graduate-level visual aesthetics, computational aesthetics research, and professional image analysis. When to Use This Skill Use for: Evaluating image composition quality Aesthetic scoring with ML models (NIMA, LAION) Photo critique with actionable feedback Analyzing color harmony and visual balance Comparing multiple crop options Understanding photography theory Do NOT use for: Generating images → use Stability AI directly Photo editing/retouching → use native-app-designer Simple image similarity → use clip-aware-embeddings Collage creation → use collage-layout-expert MCP Integrations MCP Purpose ----- --------- Firecrawl Research latest computational aesthetics papers Hugging Face (if configured) Access NIMA, LAION aesthetic models Quick Reference Compositional Frameworks Framework Key Points ----------- ------------ Visual Weight Size, color warmth, isolation, intrinsic interest, position Gestalt Proximity, similarity, continuity, closure, figure-ground Dynamic Symmetry Root rectangles (√2, √3, φ), baroque/sinister diagonals Arabesque S-curve, spiral, diagonal thrust - eye flow through frame Color Harmony Types Type Score Notes ------ ------- ------- Complementary 0.9 High visual interest Monochromatic 0.85 Safe, cohesive Triadic 0.85 Balanced, vibrant Analogous 0.8 Natural, harmonious Achromatic 0.7 B&W or desaturated Complex 0.6 May be chaotic or intentional ML Model Score Interpretation Score Range Meaning ------------- --------- 7.0+ Exceptional (top ~1%) 6.5+ Great (top ~5%) 5.0-5.5 Mediocre (most images) <5.0 Below average Analysis Protocol Anti-Patterns "Just use rule of thirds" What it looks like Why it's wrong -------------------- ---------------- Blindly placing subjects on thirds intersections Oversimplification ignores visual weight, gestalt, dynamic symmetry Instead: Analyze visual weight center, consider multiple frameworks "Higher NIMA score = better photo" What it looks l …
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills erichowens/photo-composition-critic