Using The Rule Of Thirds To Compose Your Images
Compose Your Images With The Rule Of Thirds
Using the grid overlay in your camera makes using the rule of thirds easy. If you miss it in camera, you can always crop to get the same effect.
Artists, designers and photographers have been using the rule of thirds for ages to compose their images, whether they are photos, paintings or designs. Placing the main subject at the intersecting lines helps to give an image an overall sense of dynamic balance. Almost every camera now has the ability to show these grid lines through either the viewfinder, or on the LCD screen. As you look through the viewfinder at a scene, place the subject at one the grid intersection points. You can also place a center of interest and counterpoint at opposing intersections.
You can balance your composition so that both sides are pleasing, but not of equal size, color, or shape. A larger subject, such as the chapel in the image above, balances the rest of the image with the smaller tombstones.
Another example of using the rule of thirds by placing the subject at the lower intersection.
Although using the rule of thirds to compose your images is one the best known “rules” of photography, it can also be one of the most broken rules. Sometimes the most compelling framing of your image simply doesn’t gain anything from using the rule of thirds, so feel free to ignore the rule when it makes a better image.