We all look at famous artwork and photographs and can appreciate their striking beauty, but what makes them stand out as being "better"? There are many basic rules that an artist uses as a guide when creating, and usually the first rule they learn is called the Rule of Thirds. This very simple rule of design can be applied to your photographs making them more interesting than the everyday snapshot.
THE RULE OF THIRDS - by definition
"The rule states that an image can be divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines. The four points formed by the intersections of these lines can be used to align features in the photograph. Proponents of this technique claim that aligning a photograph with these points creates more tension, energy and interest in the photo than simply centering the feature would." - "Rule of thirds." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 29 Sep 2006, 17:44 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 12 Oct 2006 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rule_of_thirds&oldid=78537954>.
So what does this mean in English? Well, it basically states that in an image, where the main subject of a photograph (be it a person, an object or the horizon line) is put at either/both the vertical third or horizontal third of the frame, has more impact than simply placing the subject in the middle. In a photograph where a person is the subject, the rule of thirds says to move the camera and place the person on the right or left side of the middle. Or, in the case of a portrait, the eyes should be 1/3 from the top of the frame in most cases. (But of coarse, rules are meant to be broken!) For example, this photograph of Jesse would be less interesting if I had placed him in the middle of the frame (the blue lines indicate the "thirds"):
Another application of the rule of thirds, where I feel it is imperative, is in landscape photography. Though it may sometimes work, the horizon line should rarely ever be at the absolute center of a photograph. As you can see with the two examples below, which one is more interesting? and, Which uses the rule of thirds? In most cases, it will be the same picture:
Notice how the picture on the left seems more balanced, where the picture on the right seems heavy on the bottom.
So, next time you are out shooting the foliage or photographing your family, keep in mind the rule of thirds. I would love to see your examples, or your results from trying this technique, please post them! I will be happy to leave comments and answer any questions your may have.
Now get out there and shoot!
Catherine Bligh, http://www.cblighphotography.com
All images ©2006, Catherine Bligh, Photography and may not be used for any purpose or on any other website without permission.