Pro Tip: Rule of Thirds
Professional photographer and Webshots member Don Paulson shares his thoughts on the Rule of Thirds.
The Rule of Thirds is a good principle to keep in mind when arranging your subject matter within your photo: Imagine two horizontal and two vertical lines dividing your photo into thirds with four intersecting points—just like a tic-tac-toe board. The Rule suggests that you place your main subject where the lines cross rather than centered in the frame, and situating the horizon on the upper or lower line usually makes a well-composed landscape photo. For portraits, placing the person’s face where lines cross can make a more compelling photo than if the person is centered.
The above photo of a silhouetted person is composed following the Rule of Thirds. Notice that the person’s face is positioned in the frame where the lines cross, and the horizon is positioned in the upper-third section along the top horizontal line. Also of note is that the person is looking “into” the photo rather than towards the outer edge; this arrangement gives a more visually balanced composition.
Above is another classic example of the Rule of Thirds. The couple walking down the path is placed in that sweet spot where the “tic-tac-toe” Rule of Thirds lines cross. Oddly enough, your photo will feel more balanced when your subject is off-center. Some cameras even have those “tic-tac-toe” lines in the viewfinder screen to help you compose your photo.
Above is an example of a vertically framed photo where the horizon and the barn are placed according to the Rule of Thirds. When considering where to place the horizon, I normally devote the largest share of the photo to what is most important to me. In this case, I wanted to emphasize the red weeds in the meadow, so I placed the horizon high in the photo.
If you have a beautiful sunset sky, you may want to place your horizon low in your photo and devote most of the photo to the sky; horizons placed very low or very high in the frame can make a powerful statement. But don’t restrict yourself to the upper-third or lower-third horizon lines all the time, and consider, too, a photo without a horizon, especially on those overcast days with a featureless white sky.
Most importantly, don’t consider the Rule of Thirds a rule that you must follow to get a good photo. It’s much more important that you express yourself creatively, unconfined by rules or standard convention. The fact that we don’t all take photos the same way is what makes photography so interesting and fun. This photo below doesn’t follow the the Rule of Thirds, but I still had fun taking it.
For more examples about composing photographs using the Rule of Thirds, visit Don’s Composition - Rule of Thirds album.
Want more great tips from Don? Then check out his special workshops filled with helpful information about photography. To learn more about this opportunity, visit Don’s website at DonPaulson.com.
