Rule of Thirds

hey there people. thought i would cover some "composition" rules. please note. rules can be broken. but they are best broken if you understand them to begin with. the rule of thirds is a tool to help you with placing your subject to maximize your composition and artistic look. most of the time when you take a picture via "point and shoot" you literally point your camera in the direction of a subject and click to capture. when you are trying to do something more artistic, to create art out of a moment, you want to think before you click about what is in your frame. the rule of thirds is designed to help you do that quickly.

the rule of thirds is really basic. if you were to draw a tic tac toe board over your picture, where your lines intersect would be the options to consider placing your subject.

this works both vertical and horizontal.

why this method? it creates a more interestingly balanced shot. not that if you aren't following the rule of thirds your picture will be boring. in fact the picture heading my blog is an example of me defying the rule of thirds. my subject is in the center and bottom of a horizontal shot. it works. the lines from the lights lead your eye. its an almost "in your face" undeniable subject placement that leaves little to question. the shot is well balanced because of the black and the dramatic lighting that points to the subject equally surrounding it.

but not every shot will be so obvious to place. the rule of thirds can help you when trying to compose.

the typical person when viewing a picture tends to view it along the intersecting lines of the rule of thirds (which is why it works so well)

google rule of thirds and you will see example after example of this simple yet effective compositional "rule". it is almost always the first lesson any budding artist or photographer will be taught in classes. and for most people it actually feels really natural.

your challenge? simple! try the rule of thirds. keep it really simple for the challenge. just use an object as your subject and try shots with it in the various intersection sections of your frame. try it with minimal background to enhance the simplicity.

please note. i created my "example" rule of thirds in about a nanosecond in photoshop and to be frank...its not a good "example" i will work on making a better one. in the mean time. i think it will help you visualize what you need to visualize. the photo of the boy with the pillar is a much better actual example. its simple and places an obvious subject in a rule of thirds position.

HAPPY SHOOTING!