Kaylee
Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds is a compositional guideline that breaks an image down into thirds (both horizontally and vertically) so you have nine pieces and four gridlines. By positioning key elements along the gridlines, you’ll end up with better compositions. The rule of thirds is perhaps the most well-known “rule” of composition, and it can transform your images from ordinary snapshots to visually captivating works of art 1.
The rule of thirds is a simple way to improve your compositions, and it requires literally zero art training or photographic experience. However, it’s important to note that rules are meant to be broken, and just because you ignore the rule of thirds doesn’t mean that your composition is uninteresting, bland, or otherwise bad. Despite its name, the rule of thirds is a guideline, not a hard-and-fast rule. You can absolutely create beautiful compositions without using the rule of thirds. At the same time, the rule of thirds is an excellent way to get started with composition. It consistently produces great results, and even professional photographers use it all the time in their work
The rule of thirds is a compositional guideline that breaks an image down into thirds (both horizontally and vertically) so you have nine pieces and four gridlines.
The rule of thirds, visualized! This three-by-three rectangle can help you position the subjects of your photos.
According to the rule, by positioning key elements along the gridlines, you’ll end up with better compositions. Therefore, to apply the rule to your photos, simply use the gridlines to position essential compositional elements.
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What do I mean by this? Well, when shooting a flower, you would place its stem or head along the right or left vertical gridline: And when shooting a sunset, you would place the horizon line along the top or bottom horizontal gridline.
As you can see, using the rule of thirds isn’t actually complicated. That’s what makes it so powerful – it’s a simple way to improve your compositions, and it requires literally zero art training or photographic experience.
I’ll say it up front, though: Rules are meant to be broken, and just because you ignore the rule of thirds doesn’t mean that your composition is uninteresting, bland, or otherwise bad. Despite its name, the rule of thirds is a guideline, not a hard-and-fast rule. You can absolutely create beautiful compositions without using the rule of thirds.
Also, keep in mind that it’s just one composition technique among many.