What is the rule of thirds in photography composition (how to use it)

Rule of thirds in photography composition

The more you know about photography composition, the better your photographs will be.

A well composed photograph is visually appealing, uses what we know about human interaction and communicates directly with your viewer.

The rule of thirds composition is probably the best place to start when learning about the role of composition, because it’s the easiest photography composition technique to learn.

Why you need to know rule of thirds composition

The thirds rule is based on how humans interact with images.

When we look at photographs, our eyes naturally go to the intersection at the centre of the rule of thirds. We don’t naturally look at the middle of a photograph, according to studies that have been conducted.

Also, you need to know the rule of thirds, because it leads on to other photography composition rules, particularly on where to place a subject in an image.

This way you’ll gradually build up a knowledge base of composition techniques. When you’re photographing, you’ll automatically start thinking about your composition with every frame you take. Photographing on purpose to create beautiful images is what it’s all about.

How do you use the rule of thirds in photography?

To make it easy for you, check out your camera and see if you have a thirds rule grid setting in your viewfinder. You might need to refer to your manual.

If you have the rule of thirds grid (2 horizontal lines and 2 vertical lines) like the photos in this tutorial, it’ll be so easy for you to use rule of thirds composition when photographing.

If you don’t have a rule of thirds grid setting in your viewfinder, don’t worry. It really isn’t that difficult. You just have to get used to thinking in thirds.

When you see an image, divide it up like this…

Now that you know what the rule of thirds grid looks like, let’s talk about what to do with it.

Vertical lines in the rule of thirds grid

Place your subject on one of the vertical lines of the rule of thirds grid rather than smack bang in the middle of the photo.

A bullseye composition works in very specific circumstances, but the vast majority of the time it doesn’t. We’ll talk about bullseye composition another time.

If a person is in the middle of the frame, the viewer’s eye can’t flow around the image and you don’t leave your subject room for movement within the frame.

Speaking of movement…

We know that we need to use one of the two vertical lines, but which one? This is important to know too.

If a person is facing to camera right, they should be on the left vertical line.

Why?

Because the subject’s gaze will then lead the viewer’s eye into the photo. If they were on the left vertical line of the grid and looked to camera left they’d be looking at the edge of the frame, which creates unnecessary tension.

Sometimes we want to create that tension and this would be a great time to break the rule of thirds composition. But let’s first get used to using rule of thirds photography composition before we start playing and breaking rules with intention.

If you don’t know the rule, you won’t know how, when or why to break it. 

When a person or object is moving, they should be moving into the frame, rather than out of it.

The reason for this is that the viewer’s eye will go to where the person/object is moving. You don’t want your viewer’s eye to bump up against the edge of the frame. That’s like walking into a lamppost when you’re not concentrating on what you’re doing. Been there, done that (on my first date ever!).

So, we’ve talked about the vertical lines of the rule of thirds grid.

 

What about the thirds rule horizontal lines?

Like the name suggests, they’re great for when the horizon is in the picture. Don’t be tempted to place the horizon in the centre of the image as it risks creating a dull composition.

When observing the rule of thirds, place your horizon along either the top or the bottom horizontal line. The bottom line is most common, but if you want to create drama, use the top line.

So, we’ve talked about the thirds rule grid’s vertical lines and the horizontal lines.

Let’s go deeper into the rule of thirds

Do you see the four points where those lines intersect?

These intersecting points on the rule of thirds grid are where you should place your subject’s eye, when you are shooting in closer for a portrait, or their head if you’re a bit further away.

The reason for this is that humans automatically look at eyes. It’s how we communicate, so it’s also how we read photographs.

Plus, as I mentioned earlier, we automatically look to the area of a photograph where the lines intersect. By placing the eye at the intersection, you make it easier for your viewer to read your photograph.

Again, remember to give your subject room to breathe and to move by ensuring that they’re looking into the frame and not at the frame edge.

What we know so far…

• So, now we know to place our subject on the vertical line when our subject is vertical. Naturally, when they are horizontal, you would concentrate on the bottom horizontal line.
• We know that when the horizon is in frame, it should be at either the top or the bottom horizontal line. Don’t forget to ensure your horizon is straight – a skew horizon instantly spoils a photo.
• We also know that the intersections where the lines meet is where we should place our subject’s eye when we’re close, or their head when we’re a little further away.

Let’s put it all together.

Using the rule of thirds in photography composition

When you take a photograph, ask yourself:

1. What is interesting about this image?
2. What do I want to include?
3. How can I position my subject (the focal point of the shot) in the image to make it visually appealing?

In the next tutorial on the rule of thirds, we’re going to have a closer look at the intersections of the lines.

When you know about this you can start to bring in other aspects of composition, such as balance in composition, including foreground interest and background interest.

We’ll also see when to use the different intersections of the rule of thirds grid to create harmony or tension in photos.

Who knew there was so much that could be conveyed with composition and the grid of 4 little lines that make up the rule of thirds grid in photography?

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