rule of thirds

choudhrysaab · Jul 13, 2009

Question ... should every picture have the "rule of thirds" applied to it or is there timing/location when its only best suited???

(i hope you guys know what i'm talking about) =)

Restomage · Jul 13, 2009

Generally I would say yes the Rule of Third's should be applied to almost every photo, the only exception I can think of some forms of portrait photography.

Clawed · Jul 13, 2009

Not at all. The rule of thirds is certianly NOT an absolute, and you can get great composition without applying the rule of thirds. If you use a square crop, the viewers attention will gravitate to the center of the frame, so the r.o.t. is not always suited for this crop. Also, a subject that displays symmetry can sometimes be placed at the center with no problem. Basically, the rule is used to create tension in the photograph, and often results in a more 'meaningful' composition. Use it as a guideline, and you will definitely find it's a good place to start when thinking about composition, but after a while, you will get a better feel for what works and what does not compositionally.

Samanax · Jul 13, 2009

The Rule Of Thirds is just one compositional "rule" that you can use when composing a shot, but you don't have to use it. Depending on the subject and what you're trying to do, even a centered subject can work out fine.

I think what's more important is that you actively think about what you're seeing when looking through the viewfinder and physically move around until you get the shot you are looking for. Be proactively creative before you hit the shutter release.