Dec 22
Photo tips #2: Rule of thirds
Often when people talk about composition, sooner or later the phrase “rule of thirds” will enter the discussion. This is the golden mean of art - everything of importance in your image should be placed in a third. It’s easiest to explain this with an example:
The image is divided in 9 equal parts. The key points are where the lines cross so you should compose your image along these lines. In the above image, the horizon is in the lower third and the tree is in the lower left corner. The clouds fill upp the upper third of the image and they appear to radiate to the lower right corner filling the otherwise empty space, creating a balanced image.
Then there are the famous exceptions. Sometimes it’s better to compose centrally, instead of following the thirds. But as always - please learn the rule first, then start exploring how to break it!
Excellent advice (though I admit that I struggle to follow it myself).