Rule of thirds

[carlostau]

Sorry, I translated it from the spanish term... In english, auric proportion is the equivalent of golden section or divine proportion.

Here's the typical spiral:

 

[SpeedTrap]

Rules are made to be broken!

While I agree I think it is important to understand the rules before you break them. I did know someone once who thought it was silly to follow the rule of 3rds and never did. They wanted to be a pro but refused to read or learn anything about photography other than to push the button in Auto mode.

I did not mind, when he got frustrated with everyone telling them his pictures sucked, I bought some of his equipment for cheap.

 

[abraxas]

Sorry, I translated it from the spanish term... In english, auric proportion is the equivalent of golden section or divine proportion.

Ok. This is about what I was refering to in my gobbledygook above. A ratio of 1:1.667. A natural progression, the Fibonacci numbers ~wait, the stuff I see at the bottom of the graphic

Lately I've been playing with color and light to cross over form and complete compositions that would be inadequate otherwise. This has come in handy lately with wildflower compositions (Blah and formless physically, but do the patterns of color(s) compliment the complete image form?). I suppose it is inherent to most work, but looking/practicing with this element in my mind putting together a shot has IMO helped me. ... kind of whatever...

My point (and what I get from your post) is that there is so much to learn and practice working to make/manipulate these simple elemental guidelines a second nature and automatic/instinctual, that it may be impossible to "throw away the rules." They would have to be known and ,... uh, rambling. Forgive me- Thanks for clarifying that for me.

Thinking of 'auras' and strength/power of subject gives me some more to consider though .

Hm- would throwing out all the 'rules'/guidelines, result in a blank white image? or total black?

 

[carlostau]

Hm- would throwing out all the 'rules'/guidelines, result in a blank white image? or total black?

Well... take a look at this russian suprematism painting from Malevich:
This is called black square...

 

[carlostau]

My point (and what I get from your post) is that there is so much to learn and practice working to make/manipulate these simple elemental guidelines a second nature and automatic/instinctual, that it may be impossible to "throw away the rules."

Indeed. That golden proportion is somehow imprinted in all of us, it is how we perceive things that are balanced and it is what we use "unconciously" to compose.

 

[Seefutlung]

I was taught that when all else fails ... use the rule of thirds,

Gary

 

[Iron Flatline]

Rule of Thirds doesn't really work for a lot of photography. When you're shooting images in the street it is infinitely more important to keep all the moving pieces in mind, consider how they interact with one another, and then to capture the image when they all line up.

I really consider the rule of thirds one of the most over-valued guidelines in any art or craft. Good image composition hasn't changed that much. Look at paintings by old masters, and see how those work. You learn more there than here.

Look at this Vermeer: Are there thirds? You bet! there's the giant negative space at the top and right, and the table is about a third of the way down... but the subject is centered. It would be a totally different image if you cropped the right, placed her on a third axis... you would lose the contextual details... the tiles at the bottom, the little coffee box on the floor...

Look how Edward Hopper deliberately painted an image with half a table and lamp... I think I would have tried to get them all in the shot, or exclude them... but there's no 3rds at work here... although you could argue that she is placed along the lower horizontal third axis...

Look, there's plenty of opposite examples of where the rule could be found. It's not clear that it is deliberate. The point is that an image can work, regardless of the rules. We live in such a visual world right now that you know pretty well what works, and what doesn't. I don't think there are rules to guide you though.

 

[asfixiate]

Thank you all. I wasn't ignoring responses. I'm only online when I'm at work.

 

[robitussin217]

Look at this Vermeer: Are there thirds? You bet! there's the giant negative space at the top and right, and the table is about a third of the way down... but the subject is centered. It would be a totally different image if you cropped the right, placed her on a third axis... you would lose the contextual details... the tiles at the bottom, the little coffee box on the floor...

What the subject is is arguable. Can the subject have an active role in the purpose of the picture? Maybe the subject is the pouring milk which leads the eye on a diagonal line at an angle with the side of the table and then kind of floats around the intersection. Does the picture still work like this?

 

[asfixiate]

I immediately think desperation is the subject of this image. First thing that comes to my mind is desperation.

 

[noob873]

I dont know if someone said this already since I dont have time to read all the responses, but generally, you should use the rule of thirds almost always, unless its symmetrical, then centering it is what you'll want to do.

 

[asfixiate]

noob
I agree.

Is that family guy Andre the Giant or just random Andre the giant?

 

[JerryPH]

While I agree I think it is important to understand the rules before you break them. I did know someone once who thought it was silly to follow the rule of 3rds and never did. They wanted to be a pro but refused to read or learn anything about photography other than to push the button in Auto mode.

I'd not make that mistake and think that my understanding of the rule was not comprehensive. Do a search. In another thread, I went into nauseating detail explaining what it is and how to exploit the rule with sample pictures for someone else.

I understand it well, and use it when it will add to my pictures, and break the rule when it is to my benefit.

Anyone who wants to become a pro and uses nothing but auto mode is not a person that is as motivated to personal edification, which I can assure you that I am.