The Rule of Thirds

Photography 101

To begin to make better photos, it is essential that the photographer start to learn some handy guidelines for good composition. One of these, and probably one of the more important ones, is the "rule of thirds".

Horizon placed in the lower thirds to emphasize the sky.
I would first like to point out that the "rule of thirds" is not a set-in-stone concept. It is merely a guideline. In many cases, it can help you make a more interesting composition, if you use it. So what is it? Simply put, the rule of thirds is the concept of placing your subject of interest or orienting your composition so that things align somewhat on the thirds line, instead of in the center of the frame.

Placing the berries to the right third of the frame adds more visual interest.
The idea of placing a horizon line in the lower or upper thirds in a landscape photo can put emphasis on what the viewer sees more of. With people or subjects, it simply adds interest to the frame. If the rule of thirds seems confusing, then I'd first start out by practicing: Take a photo of something in the center of your frame, then take some photos utilizing the thirds lines. You'll start to see the different right away.

Again, rules are meant to be broken, but only when you understand them.

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