Photography Pointers | Rule of Thirds

So... I've been thinking that I'd like to do a series of posts on photography pointers. I have done several classes & speeches to MWAC's (a.k.a. - Moms with a Camera) on how they can take better pictures of their own kids. And I thought that the greater blogging world might be interested in something similar. So this is going to be the first post in a series on how to take better pictures... even if you just have a point and shoot camera. So here we go!

There are several rules that are taught in photography on composition. These rules are guidelines that help make a photo more interesting and esthetically appealing. The first that is often taught about is the "Rule of Thirds". The reason I want to write about this first is because my husband recently asked me, "Why are the people you photograph always to one side?". First of all, they aren't ALWAYS to one side. But I try to be purposeful about where I place people in the frame. The picture below is a good example of using the Rule of Thirds.


The rule of thirds can simply be explained as dividing your viewfinder into thirds, both horizontally and vertically. The grid will end up with two vertical lines and two horizontal lines, that will give you four crossing points like a tic-tac-toe matrix (as seen below). When composing your image you should consider placing your points of interest in the crossing points of the lines. By aligning elements at intersections and along the lines your image will be balanced and will enable a viewer to interact with it more naturally. Studies have shown that when viewing images, people’s eyes usually go to one of these intersection points most naturally rather than the center of the shot – using the rule of thirds works with this natural way of viewing an image rather than working against it. In fact, you'll start noticing the Rule of Thirds in everything from famous paintings to scene shots in movies!


So in the picture above the horizon is along the bottom 1/3 of the image. The subject is in the right 1/3 of the image. And the focal point, his face, is at an intersection. Does that mean you shouldn't put your subject in the center of a picture? Not at all! It's especially effective to put your subject in the middle of a photo when you are emphasizing symmetry and have lines that lead your eye to the center, as seen below! But even though I did put my subject in the middle, did you notice that the horizon in still placed along the top 1/3?


Hope you like this little "pointer". Is there anything YOU would like me write about? If so, please leave a comment and let me know!