Take Better Pictures: Composition and the Rule of Thirds

As a portrait photographer, I am constantly paying attention to how a scene is composed.  The "rule of thirds" as we'll discuss here today, has become second nature to me.

When you view an image, have you ever paid attention to how your eye travels around the scene? 

The artist, or photographer, painter, or designer most likely placed certain elements of the finished piece in specific locations on the page.  The better artists purposefully influence how you view the final image - where your eye travels -  as you take in and digest the scene. 

Today's blog entry will help you take better photographs.  Perhaps you only use the camera built into your cell phone, or you have a pocket instamatic camera. Or you've invested in something more expensive.  It's not so much about the tool in your hands, but more about how you guide that tool and what you see unfolding at the moment that you decide to click the shutter.

So let's dive in.

Pick up your camera. Take off the lens cap.  Aim your camera at the computer screen, that's right ... at this blog post.  Position the camera in such a way that the image to the right fills up your camera's view finder, just so you can still see all four of the outer edges ... top, bottom, left, right.


Now take the shot.

Besides having a useless tic-tac-toe app that doesn't function, you can amaze your friends with the knowledge you will soon have about the rule of thirds.  Perfect ice beaker for that next cocktail party.

Why is this called the "Rule of Thirds?" Because the lines in the image dissect the scene into one third chunks, both horizontally and vertically.  The goal is to compose a scene in your view finder so that the main subject falls along one or more of the lines. 



Composite image relying on the 
vertical lines. My eye starts just
above the upper left power point,
travels diagonally down to the right,
then diagonally down to the
left. Notice that also draws you
from the background image
through to the foreground.


If you are a landscape photographer, or just love snapping cell phone pics of amazing sunsets in Arizona while you're stuck in traffic, experiment with placing the horizon on the upper 1/3 line or the lower 1/3 line, rather than perfectly centered.  That alone will add more drama to your image and make it more interesting.   If possible, frame the scene so that a house or tree or some other visual element falls on one of the two vertical lines. 

I placed her eye on the upper
left power point, and the
opposite side of her face
on the right vertical line to
keep your eye inside the
power points.

The intersections where the lines meet - specified in the image above with the darker cross-hairs - are called "power points."  If the artist did a good job composing the image, your eye generally travels around these 4 points and continues to flow around them without hitting barriers or distractions that break that flow.

Many cameras have the lines and/or power points built into the view finder.  Good chance that you've seen them in your own camera but didn't know why they are present.  If your camera has any of these markings in the view finder, you now know how to use them.





Zena's eye is on the left power point,
her face is flanked by the right
vertical, and her legs roughly
follow the vertical lines.  The
lower horizontal line cuts across
her chest so her 4 legs are in
the lower 1/3 of the scene.

If you are taking portrait shots, either of others or as selfies, try to get an eyeball at one of the intersecting points, preferably one of the two points on the upper line.  


Here's Ranger without the lines
and power points overlaid for
you.  Can you see where the design
elements of the subject fall along
the lines and points we've talked
about?

Study the attached examples.  And just so my two fur babies don't feel left out, I've included them here as part of the discussion.  They've certainly been at my feet the whole time I've been typing, so they've already been involved.

Now it's your turn to go back and study pictures you've taken.  Pick out a few you like but can't quite put a finger on "why" you like them.  You may just discover that you occasionally stumbled into getting the "rule of thirds" correct without knowing it.

Also please take the time now to snap a few quick pictures of whatever interests you.  Your lovely bride, your fur babies, the next sunset, your car, whatever floats your boat.  Try to apply the lesson you've learned here about the rule of thirds.

The expense and quality of the camera in your hand is not as important as visually balancing the scene and managing how the viewer consumes your art.

Can you do a huge favor for me?  Post pictures in the reply area below as you experiment with this.  I will gladly help you assess how your progressing and offer pointers to help you take better pictures.