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>Rule of Thirds, etc.
I stopped paying attention to any compositional rules, and instead looked for balance and harmony in the scene. This was easy to learn with a 4x5", since the image is upside-down on the groundglass.
A "trick" I use when using an SLR or rangefinder, is to squint with my eye, so that the scene in the viewfinder goes blurry. This way it is very easy to see if the image is in balance or not.
I also works, instead of squinting, to sort of focus in between you and the scene. Look at the scene as if you were looking at one of those Magic Eye 3D posters
