Composition – Rule of Thirds

In my last photography post I talked about choosing your subject, emphasizing it, and simplifying it. Now it’s time to make it more interesting, successful, attractive, and artistic.

Rule of Thirds

The Rule of Thirds is a simple technique that anyone can use to quickly create a more interesting photo.

First step: Divide the picture area into thirds. This can be easily done by imagining a tic-tac-toe diagram over the picture area.

Rule of Thirds diagram

Second step: Now compose your shot so your subject is placed along the left or right vertical thirds and/or the top or bottom horizontal thirds.

Which is more interesting?

That’s it!  It’s that easy. For example, if you are taking a scenic landscape shot, line the horizon along the top or bottom line. If you are taking people pictures, try to line their eyes up with the top horizontal line (you can use the bottom line too if the shot calls for it).

If you have a tree as a foreground element, line it up on the left or right vertical line. See, this isn’t hard at all. Just line your subject up with one of the lines and you will instantly make your photo more interesting.

Bonus Tips

Now that you can picture that tic-tac-toe diagram over your image, lets add more interest to your photo. Notice the four intersections (or points) that are made by the lines? By aligning your subject with these points your compositions will be considered more interesting, successful, attractive, and artistic.

Remember, This is Art

The Rule of Thirds is not an absolute rule that should be followed all the time. We are not dealing with a exact science as in engineering or physics. While following the Rule of Thirds, you have to be flexible in your thinking. Some subjects fit neatly into this rule while others will be somewhat less obvious. I’m sure you will find that just by moving your subject out of the center and onto one of these lines (or points), that your images will be more impressive.