Take Better Pictures Using "The Rule of Thirds"

The most basic tool for photographic composition is the “Rule of Thirds”.

Sounds mystical, doesn’t it? 

(Spoken with an echo)  The     Rule     of     Thirds!

What the Heck is it?

The rule of thirds is simply a tool to help create interesting photo composition.  Mystics nor magic have anything to do with it.  Let me explain.

Imagine a grid like this one. 

When you look through your viewfinder or back of your camera visualize this grid.  

You see the four places where the lines cross?  It is believed that if you put your subject on any one of the four places you will have a stronger composition.  

Example

Let's look at an example.

Notice the ship (the main subject) is just above the lower right line cross. When you look at the photo your eyes are drawn to the ship because that is the main subject of the photo.  The horizon line is just above the lower line which gives great exposure of the cloudy sky. The clouds (the secondary subject) dominate the top right and left cross lines. The lighthouse (the tertiary subject) is just above the lower-left line cross.

More Examples

Here is an example of the final picture with the solitary tree in the field with an overpowering sky.  On the right, is the picture with the rule of thirds grid overlayed.  The tree is located at the lower-left cross point.  The sweeping cloud is located at the upper right cross point.  

You will notice I shot this vertical rather than horizontal.  I did this because I wanted to show the beauty of the clouds that day.  Also, notice the horizon line is along the lower grid line. 

 

This image of two tulips gives an example of the rule of thirds applied to smaller objects.  I could have moved so that the two tulips would have been on the same level.  However, I adjusted my shooting position so that I could have one tulip on the upper right cross point and the other tulip on the lower left cross point.  

 

This picture of an old pot with a flower in it as it sits on an old stone fence has a couple of visual elements coming into play.  The pot is sitting right by the cross of the upper left lines.  Your eyes are drawn to it because of a couple of the rule of thirds and two other visual elements.  

The first visual element is the gate.  Notice how the angle of the gate leads your eyes toward the pot.  This is known as a "leading line".  We will get into the detail of leading lines in a future blog post.

The second visual element is the pot itself.  Notice how the light is stronger hitting the pot.  It stands out because it is brighter than the rest of the image and the background behind it is dark.  This helps the pot stand out. 

Again, for this picture, I chose to shoot it vertical because it gave me the best overall composition.  Try taking your pictures in horizontal and vertical.  It will give you a selection of pictures of the same subject.  You will be able to choose your favorite.  Take lots of pictures!

Rules are meant to be broken!

The rule of thirds works in most cases, but as with any rule, rules are meant to be broken.  Use the rule of thirds wisely.  It will work for you in most situations, but do not be afraid to break the rule.  Taking a number of pictures of the same subject lets you experiment with the composition so you get the best results possible.  

Try this experiment.

Let's do a little experiment.  Find a magazine with lots of photographs within it.  Look at the photographs and imagine the grid.  Do you notice how many photographs use the rule of thirds in their composition?

See you next week!  

If you wish to see examples of my photography, visit my website by clicking HERE.