What is the rule of thirds in photography, and how can you use it?

One of the most well-known topics in photography the the rule of thirds. But….

Why Do I need to Use the Rule of Thirds in My Photography?

Using the rule of thirds is one of the easiest ways to start capturing visually appealing and balanced images.

I am a member of a number of Facebook photography groups where people who are posting images get criticised for all manner of things. I think what people forget, is that photography is subjective.

An eye-grabbing image nearly always suffers with great composition.

Given the time, an experienced photographer will know how to create a perfectly composed photo. In this article I am going to set you on the road to creating your own visually appealing images.

Just bear in mind, as with all rules, sometimes an image benefits when the rule of thirds is broken.

However, you should always fully understand a particular concept before you break it so that when you do, you can break it effectively.

What is the rule of thirds?

The rule of thirds helps position the main subject of an image in a way that’s pleasing to look at. It involves placing the main subject in an image onto imaginary intersections. Basically, an image can be broken down into thirds, horizontally and vertically. There are nine equal sections. The red circles in the image below represent the main intersections. Ideally this is where you should place your subject.

Where did the rule of the thirds originate?

Unbelievably, it was first discussed in 1797. Back then it was not about photography, but painting, however the principles are the same. Artists were discussing the balance between warm and cold colors, and what percentage of their painting should contain, land, water, air and sky.

The consensus was that, one third should be composed of land and water, and the other two thirds should remain for air and sky. Thus the rule of thirds was born.

The Rule of Thirds Grid

The thirds are made up from 4 intersecting lines, forming 9 equal boxes which make up the grid. Where the grid lines intersect are where you should plaace your main subject or point of interest.

Using the Rule of Thirds in Photography

The rule of thirds states that if you place the main subject of your photo in the top, bottom, left, or right sections of the grid, you will produce a more balanced image.

Sometimes it makes sense to break the rules.

I have read that all you have to do to take a well-balanced photo is avoid placing the main subject in the box in the center, such as the Red Kite in the image below does. What a load of rubbish that is!

I think this is a perfect example when placing the subject in the center of the image makes sense.

Using the Rule of Thirds in Photography - red kite on ground

It has been suggested that when people look at photos, their eyes are naturally drawn to one of the points of interest and not the center of the shot. However, if you are using lead in lines, (which I talk about in this post), the eye naturally follows a path through the image.

Using the Rule of Thirds for Landscapes

The rule of thirds can be applied to landscape photography.

If you can, align the horizon of the image with one of the horizontal lines on your rule of thirds grid. Once again it all depends on the subject matter and the style of image that you are trying to capture.

If the image is all about the sky, then it makes sense to have the horizon running along the bottom grid line. However, if the image is all about the land then the top grid line might be more appropriate.

Or, as in the image below, the sky and the ruins of Haughmond Abbey were equally important so I split the image in half. I could have cropped the image at the bottom, thereby dropping the horizon onto the bottom grid line. However, I preferred to have use the greenery as a frame, and use the ‘V’ shape it formed as a lead in line.

Using the Rule of Thirds in Photography

If you have several important elements within your image, aim to place them near one of the four intersections. I do understand that sometimes this is more or less impossible. At this point I usually look for a different angle or alter my distance from the subject.

Using the Rule of Thirds for Portraits

Using the rule of thirds in your portraits will help you turn a good photograph into a great one, based on subject placement alone.

Check out an example:

As you can see, the bridge of woman’s face is on the top right intersection. This is perfect because when taking portraits, your goal should be to get the eyes of your main subject on or near a point of interest.

Top Tips

Here are some other tips when using the rule of thirds in portrait photography.

  • Where possible, try to have the person’s body aligned with one of the vertical lines in the grid
  • If the subject is looking to the left or right, then try and create ‘space’ in that direction
  • If it is a wildlife portrait make sure to leave room for the subject to move into

Using the Rule of Thirds in Photography - Eagle Owl

Placing your subject on the intersections might feel counter-intuitive initially but once you get used to composing your images in this way it soon becomes second nature.

Compose in Camera

The majority of editing software contains a cropping tool which makes re-positioning your subjects a piece of cake.

If we look at the left version of the dragonfly image, its sits nicely on the top grid line but is a little too central. However, in the right hand version I cropped the image on its right hand side which then positioned the body of the insect almost onto the top left intersection. The reasoning behind this was that the insect is pointing to the right and facing downwards. Cropping as I have gives the subject room to move into.

double image of a dragonfly

Cropping Images and Printing

One thing you have to be aware of when cropping your images is that size matters when it comes to printing. Cropping an image removes information that is required when printing at larger sizes.

If we look at the Kingfisher images below, you will see there is quite a reduction in size post-crop.

The top image is 5472 x 3648 pixels. (The image was taken on a 7d Mkii crop sensor.) If we look at the right hand cropped version of the image, it is better from a composition point of view. However, the actual size has been reduced quite a lot. It is now only 4390 x 2469 pixels.

kingfisher on no fishing sign

From a printing point of view it would be very difficult to print this image at anything larger than A3 without some kind of pixelation and image degradation.

As a rough rule of thumb try not to reduce the shortest edge to less than 3000 pixels.

TOP TIP: I learnt very early on that it is far more efficient to do your composition in camera as opposed to cropping after the fact.

kingfisher on no fishing sign

 

Using the Rule of Thirds in Photography – a Conclusion

One of the easiest ways to achieve more pleasing and well balanced images is by applying the rule of thirds whenever possible.

Try and compose an image in camera. This can be challenging, especially with wildlife where the subjects can be very fast moving, and just getting the shot is an achievement!

Do not be afraid to break the rules. Photography is subjective. You might be after a particular style of image.

Have fun, we are shooting in a throw away age where practice costs nothing other than time.

Happy shooting

Roger

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