Balance: Asymmetrical vs. Symmetrical

Symmetrical balance is when in your picture everything is balanced, or in other words even. If you were to fold the picture in half, what is on one side would line up with the opposite side. Asymmetrical balance, however, is when a picture is still balanced but not by having the same thing on both sides. When you look at these pictures,your eyes will see the same balance on either side.

I think visual balance is important in art because when an artist takes a photograph everything in it contributes to its overall appearance, therefore, you do not want something to stand out more than something else. Everything should be even so that the viewer does not focus just on one thing, but instead sees and understands the picture as a whole.