Rule of Thirds in Photography
Posted on August 15, 2009
Filed Under Digital Camera Features, Good Digital Cameras |
As you are interested in photography, then you must have heard about the Rule of Thirds. It is based upon the common belief that the eyes first look at the sides of a photograph, not at its center . The rule’s job is to put emphasis on the parts of the photo which will first grab the attention of the eye.
While the Rule of Thirds is very important for composing good photographs, it is also the easiest to understand and apply of all the photography rules. All you need is just to know how you should frame your subject.
A photograph is divided into a 3×3 grid similar to that of thee famous Tic-tac-toe game. This is done by putting four lines (two horizontal and two vertical) each at one third of the photograph, hence the name of the rule. Four intersection points will be formed at the meeting points between each nonparallel pair of lines . These four points along with the lines should be used as guides on which you should align your subjects.
In case of closeups, the subject itself will probably be bigger than the whole frame. As a result, interesting features within the subject should be aligned instead. An interesting example of this case is a closeup portrait where the facial features are the objects that form the composition. Most photographers align the eyes to the first horizontal line from top. This will put emphasis on the eye, frame the whole face, and leave no details out of the picture.
The Rule of Thirds is commonly used in landscape photography as well. If the foreground contains any subjects, they should be placed in compliance with the rule (usually along vertical lines). As for the background, horizons are usually aligned to one of the horizontal lines. Some landscape photos may contain other elements in the background like clouds or mountains. These can also be aligned to the lines of thirds and, if possible, separated in different thirds, producing a well composed photograph.
Despite being important to the composition, some flexibility should exist when applying this rule. There are some instances where the perfect alignment should be sacrificed for a better overall composition, such as when some important details are missing just outside the frame. In other situations the rule is usually neglected, like when trying to balance reflection with the real subjects inside the frame. Here, the mirror line (the line separating the reflection from the real) is usually aligned at the middle.
The Rule of Thirds is an easy to learn, yet very effective technique. When used correctly, it will take your photographs to a whole new level.
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