The Famous Rule of Thirds in Photography

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By guest | August 31, 2009

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.

Imagine that your photograph will be divided into three horizontal and three vertical parts. Two lines are used to divide the photograph into three horizontal sections, while two other perpendicular lines divide it into three vertical sections. Four intersection points will be formed at the meeting points between each nonparallel pair of lines . In general, the lines together with the intersection points should be used to align the main subjects of your photos so as to have one that complies with the Rule of Thirds.

Photographing at close range will yield a subject that is too big to be framed as a whole. 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. Eyes are usually placed along the top horizontal line. 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). Horizons in the background, if any, should be placed along 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. For instance, if you align everything in perfect compliance with the rule just to discover that an essential part will not be included inside the frame, slightly moving the viewfinder to include all the details will not cause any damages. 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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