Rule of Thirds in Photography
The rule of thirds is widely considered to be one of the most important first techniques you
can learn to create better compositions and help you progress from “taking pictures” to
“making photographs.”
Don’t let the name throw you, though. It’s not really a rule. It’s a guideline or principle for
composition that’s been used by artists for a long, long time. It works for landscapes, portraits,
wildlife, and every other type of image, even abstracts. Not every picture has to use the rule of
thirds, however, but it’s a great place to start when you are looking through your viewfinder
and wondering what to do next.
What is the Rule of Thirds?
So what exactly is the rule of thirds?
Imagine two evenly spaced vertical lines and two evenly spaced horizontal lines drawn over
your viewfinder like a tic-tac-toe board. The lines divide the screen into a set of nine
rectangles. Where the vertical and horizontal lines cross are “rule of thirds” points.
The four intersection points (indicated by blue circles) in a rule of thirds grid. Illustration via Wikimedia
Commons and licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
According to the rule of thirds, you should put your primary subject on one of those points (or
along one of the lines).
The rule of thirds is a composition guideline that suggest you should put a main point of interest on one of the
four “rule of thirds” points. Photo by John Tunney.
In general (everything is “in general” because there are always exceptions), using the rule of
thirds will help you create a pleasing, well-balanced image. It’s a way to give your main point
of interest special emphasis, marking it as important. It feels natural and harmonious, whereas
placing the main subject smack in the middle of the image can feel unbalanced and boring.
A composition in which the subject is placed in the center can feel boring (left), while placing the subject on a
rule of thirds point can create a more open and interesting composition (right). Photo by Ozy Dozzy.
A subject placed on one of the rule of thirds points or lines will draw the viewer’s gaze, pulling
the viewer’s attention into and through the image. Of course, the rule of thirds isn’t the only
way to draw a viewer’s eye. The brightness, color, contrast, and size of an object in an image
can also make an element stand out, but the rule of thirds gives it a special place of honor.
How to Use the Rule of Thirds
It’s pretty simple, really. Just place your subject – whether it’s a person, flower, animal,
building, etc. – on one of the rule of thirds points or lines. It works for horizontals and
verticals.
The rule of thirds works with both horizontal and vertical compositions. Photo by John Tunney.
When photographing faces, flowers, cars, and anything else that can point, it helps to have
them looking into the frame and leading the viewer into the image rather than pointing out of
it. Again, it’s a general principle and there are many successful images that do the opposite.
For portraits, place the eyes on the upper line.
For portraits, try to place to place the eyes on the upper rule of thirds line. Photo by John Tunney.
The rule of thirds often goes hand in hand with the concept of negative space. For example,
when photographing a subject looking either to the left or to the right, it is usually a good idea
to place the subject on a rule of thirds intersection point that allows them to look into the
open side of the frame. This gives photo “breathing room” and negative space that allows the
viewer to follow the subject’s gaze.
This subject’s head is on a rule of thirds point on the side he is not looking. It is often a good idea to place subjects on a
rule of thirds point that allows the subject to look into negative space. Photo by Anthony Delanoix.
This subject’s head is placed on a rule of thirds point on the side he is looking. This type of composition can create a
feeling of tension and mystery, which may or may not be what you are aiming for. Photo by Anthony Delanoix.
When photographing landscapes or other outdoor scenics, beginners often place the horizon
right in the middle of the frame, which tends to cut the picture in half and look boring since
nothing has emphasis. Instead, try to place the horizon line on either the upper or lower
“third” line.
When framing your composition, you have to decide which is more important – the upper part
of the scene or the lower part. If it’s the upper, the horizon line is placed lower in the frame. If
it’s the lower, then the horizon is placed higher in the frame. Try one of each and see which
one you like better.
If there’s no clear horizon, look for a leading line or something or things that can imply one,
and have it lead to a rule of thirds point with some kind of dominant element like a rock, tree,
mountaintop, or even just a bright point.
You don’t have to be a fanatic about placing your subject on the rule of thirds with absolute
precision. Just get in the general area. Remember, it’s a guideline and not a rule.
For landscape photographs, avoid placing the horizon in the middle. Instead, place it one of the rule of thirds lines.
Photo by John Tunney.
Rule of Thirds Overlays in Cameras
Most cameras and phones have a setting to turn on grid lines to help you compose using the
rule of thirds. This makes it easy to just move your camera around until one of those points is
on your subject.
To find out how to turn the grid on for your particular camera or phone, read your owner’s
manual or do an online search.
The iPhone’s rule of thirds overlay can be turned on in Settings>Camera>Composition>Grid.
In editing programs, most crop tools have a rule of thirds overlay. Use it to fine-tune your
composition and position things on a rule of thirds point or line.
Lightroom Classic’s Crop tool overlays rule of thirds guidelines onto your photo to aid in creating a pleasing composition.
Screenshot by Adobe.
This is especially helpful in action or wildlife photography when you may not have time to
create an optimal composition. It’s also helpful to go back over old images and see if you can
use the crop tool to improve the compositions.
Breaking the Rule of Thirds
As mentioned earlier, the rule of thirds is really just a guideline and there are many times
exceptions to it.
Symmetrical subjects, such as round or square objects, often look great in the middle of the
frame.
Photo by Foto Pettine.
Or sometimes you want to use symmetry to create a sense of balance by having two elements
at opposites of the picture.
Photo by Tom Barrett.
Some photographers even believe that the rule of thirds is a poor foundation for learning
photographic composition because it can straight-jacket your creativity and lead to photos
being just as boring and formulaic as compositions in which the subject is dead center in the
frame.
So, once you have a solid grasp of the rule of thirds and understand why it can improve
compositions, it can be a good idea to then experiment with breaking the “rule” in order to
grow further in your ability to create compelling compositions based on each individual scene
and subject.
There is Much More to Photo Composition
There are many different guidelines and principles besides the rule of thirds that can help with
composition. Leading lines, shapes such as pyramids, symmetry, and the golden ratio are some
examples. However, part of the power of the rule of thirds is that it is easy to understand and
use and it works. We seem hardwired to like images that use it.
If you are new to photography, using the rule of thirds can help you think more about
composing an image instead of just “shooting” a subject. The word “shoot” is an unfortunate
term in photography. It suggests we’re supposed to put the center focus point on something
and fire away. To be sure, sometimes that can work, but in general (there’s that term again),
using the rule of thirds will just look better. Try it. You might like it.
Activity:
Frame and photograph a subject using Rule of Thirds (10 shots)
Save your activity on a folder indicating your first and last name and submit it using the link
below:
https:// bit.ly/9ste_a_photography_files
