Composition – The Rule of Thirds

You can use the Rule of Thirds as a guide in the off-center placement of your subjects. Here's how it works.

Before you make the picture, imagine your picture area divided into thirds, both horizontally and vertically. The intersections of these imaginary lines suggest four options for placing the center of interest for good composition. The option you select depends upon the subject and how you would like that subject to be presented.

The Rule of Thirds at work. The girl at left is in the left “third zone,”
the girl to the right is in the top “third zone.”

 

Nothing is centered in this photograph. The barn is in the upper left third,
the fencepost is in the right third, the horizon is above horizontal center,
and the coiled fence wire draws the eye around and through the lower 2/3 of the scene.
The coiled fence wire is allowed to cavort because it’s the active ingredient, the interesting focal point of the photo.

 

The old boat seems well placed in the lower right just because
the rest of the scene fits nicely into the format.

 

Here's a case where you have excellent subject control.
You can place the subject anywhere in the frame.
The rule of thirds indicates this placement, which also gives the
viewer’s eye a definite path to follow within the picture area.
The eye moves naturally from top to bottom because of the composition.

 

Diagonal patterns are always more dynamic than horizontal or vertical.
You should also always consider the path of moving subjects
and leave space in front of them into which they can move.

 

Diagonal patterns combining a “Z” format. Notice the Rule of Thirds at work,
nothing is centered, and rather, all elements are found in the Thirds zones.

 

By placing the subject in the lower-right position,
we've used the rule of thirds and given the woman
and carriage plenty of room to walk through the picture.

 

Always keep the horizon out of the center of the frame.
In this example the “horizon” is in the upper third of the frame.
The “active spot” is in the lower-left third.

 

Again, the subject is in the upper third.
Notice how the brightness, in the right third and the tree trunk in the left third,
frame the subject and draw the eye directly to the dog cooling in a river.

 

By placing the subject near the center (vertically) and far to the right, the dark narrowing shape of
land moving in from the left draws the eye quickly to the fisherman on point.

 

Fireworks – As in the previous example, a static scene can become dynamic by departing
from a standard rectangle and making the format more critically extreme. This shallow wide dimension
confines the viewer’s eye vertically but gives it wide latitude to roam horizontally. Finally, notice
the tension between the horizontal light streaks through the
bottom third and the diagonal, vertical light trails in the top two thirds.

Framing–

In most instances, using foreground objects to frame the center of interest is a tool to draw a viewer’s eye to the active area.
Composing photos with objects between the camera and subject lends depth also.

A photo without framing.

Same scene framed with foreground elements.

Activity: Shoot a roll of film, practicing composing photos with the subject,
or center of interest, placed into the Rule of Thirds “sweet spots.” See what you can
do by introducing foreground objects between you and the subject, practice “framing” your photos.