Rule of thirds help

Jeepinmomma · Sep 2, 2010

I'm just not getting it, maybe i'm making it harder than it really is, i've googled rule of thirds pictures with the grid and it just confuses me more. Any one have a good definition? Is this a good rule of thirds example? Thanks guys!

tirediron · Sep 2, 2010

In plain English, approximately divide your image into thirds either vertically or horizontally (Your example would be vertical, an ocean sunset with mountains in the background would be horizontal) and then place the main subject in one of the thirds other than the middle one. The idea is to avoid centering your subject.

Your example does indeed show the rule of thirds, but it shows what the rule of thirds is meant to avoid. This example where the subject is the horse's head is an example of vertical division; note that the head is more or less in the left-hand most third.

Also remember that the rule is NOT a rule; but a guideline. There are lots of times that centering a subject is fine. At the end of the day, good composition is what looks good to you, regardless of what I or anyone else might say.

sobolik · Sep 2, 2010

Study diligently everything you can about the rule of thirds and other composition criteria and then toss it all aside and don't worry about it at all.

Take a photo of the baby as best you can capture within the confines of the 4 sides of a photo, the reason you wanted to take a photo in the first place, Was it the bubbles, the smile, the eyes. Forget the rule of thirds.

The rule of thirds is simply an observation that something tends to look better that way compared to a different way. It is like a Coke bottle looks better sculpted the way it is rather than sculpted like a pickle jar. Does that mean all bottles must be like the wonderfully shaped Coke a Cola bottle? No

Forget the rule of thirds except to occasionally observe that the photo you took because it looked nice in the viewfinder has in fact by-golly turned out to more or less conform to that rule of thirds thing we hear so much about.

Jeepinmomma · Sep 3, 2010

Thanks, i know its more of a guide line but i have to do the rules of third for school so if its not i won't pass! I get it bit more now, i though in every section of the vertical, and horizontal you would have a different subject, and then another at where they crossed which would make 3 different subjects in the photo, that's kind of how my book descried it, and how they showed an example of it. Thanks again!

Village Idiot · Sep 3, 2010

F' the rule of thirds, I say.

AdrianC · Sep 3, 2010

Jeepinmomma said:
Thanks, i know its more of a guide line but i have to do the rules of third for school so if its not i won't pass! I get it bit more now, i though in every section of the vertical, and horizontal you would have a different subject, and then another at where they crossed which would make 3 different subjects in the photo, that's kind of how my book descried it, and how they showed an example of it. Thanks again!

Nah, the rule of thirds just basically says "Avoid centering the object".

BuS_RiDeR · Sep 3, 2010

Yes it is a guideline... And sometimes it can really help a photo... Other trimes... meh, not so much.

Basically the rule of thirds gives you guidelines to divide your viewfinder/screen equally into thirds vertically and horizontally... Align and balance "things" whith these lines/sub-frames in mind.

kundalini · Sep 3, 2010

Vinny · Sep 3, 2010

+1 in what others have said. Also, if you want to try it your camera may put the grid into your viewfinder and some PP software may put it there as well when cropping. I'm using Serif's Photoplus and it will add the grid as I crop so if need be I can move the crop around to achieve that rule of thirds look.

Jeepinmomma · Sep 3, 2010

Okay, so now my question is, how do you shoot the thirds if the photo is a portrait? The person should be in the middle of the frame and take up most of the frame....

BuS_RiDeR · Sep 3, 2010

Just turn the grid 90 degrees... Remember.. it is not really a "rule" as much as a guideline...

UUilliam · Sep 4, 2010

Don't be scared by rule of thirds.

If you still do not understand, just ask you tutor, they will be happy to help, it is their job after all.

but rule of thirds.

for landscape.
put the "ground" up to about the first horizontal line, then water, mountains or w/e to the second line, then sky up to the top.
and maybe have a tree, log, driftwood, bird or something to the right or left on one of the crossing points, that way you have used the rule of thirds.

but dont learn to use it all the time, it isn't always a good guide line, sometimes (for portrait.) it is best to center your subject.

just use RoT in situations it will suit (wide spaces and thing like that, i.e. taking a photo of a street, capture someone walking through on one of the crossing points.

hope that helped rather than confuse, but all the advice in this thread is pretty much dead on.

LCARSx32 · Sep 4, 2010

In portraits, the rule of thirds kind of falls away. If you are doing a portrait close up, you can center the person in the frame. I would suggest, however, that if the person's whole body is visible, or if they are interacting with something, the rule of thirds *may* need to come back into play. Just ask yourself, "If I move the subject to one of the sides, does it make the picture look better?".

Also, watch your subjects eyes. If the are looking left, give them blank room to the left to look at. Looking up? Put some space above them.

LaFoto · Sep 4, 2010

For portraits, this "rule" would be helpful to position the EYES of your subject in the right places, so you don't place them in the middle, have very little room below the chin, but loads of headroom above. Think "vertical frame" and the eyes (or one of them) in one of those "key" positions. It's not as hard as it may seem.