Rule Of Thirds

[amolitor]

I looked this thing up and did a little checking into the background, and it's pretty interesting.

The Graphic Design Principle, such as it is, suggests that you divide the page up by thirds horizontally and/or vertically, and then use these lines to organize the page. That is, the one-third lines serve as boundaries between regions. If you take a look at a bunch of paintings from various eras, you'll find that frequently this is frequently one of the organizing principles there as well. So, you create the tic-tac-toe board like thing, and place things within the regions.

Somehow, somewhere along the line, this seems to have become a photographic idea which translated it incorrectly. Now, inexplicably, we are urged to place the subject on the boundaries. That is to say on the lines between the regions -- exactly where the principle from graphic design teaches to not place things.

One web site even advises placing the subject either within one of the regions or on one of the boundaries (yes, that's right, this is a complicated way to say "put the subject anywhere at all").

 

[tirediron]

The photographic implementation of the "Rule of thirds" is borrowed from that used by painters for centuries. I think the graphic designers are in fact the ones late to the party!

Remember too that the "Rule of thirds" is in fact the simplest incarnation of a more complex compositional theory variously referred to as the "Golden mean" or the "Golden rule" (definitions vary slightly, depending on who you ask).

Graphic design is not photography, so the principles need not be identical. As well, if you take the "Rule of thirds" literally, and you centre your subject on one of the two "thirds" lines, a significant portion of it is going to be in each box.

You can place your subject anywhere at all; absolutely. The main purpose of the "Rule of thirds" as far as I am concerned is to get it across to those new to composition that a subject in the centre of the image is not usually the best idea.

 

[Designer]

The main purpose of the "Rule of thirds" as far as I am concerned is to get it across to those new to composition that a subject in the centre of the image is not usually the best idea.

There are so many variables in composition that to consider one suggestion to be the main compositional "rule" is silly at best. Now we see many new graphic designers and photographers trying their darndest to adhere to a "rule of thirds" when they don't even understand it.

 

[amolitor]

I think you are correct, getting the subject out of the center is the goal, and a very worthy one at that.

If you care to and have some free time, though, you might find it interesting to pull up a web search of some well-known paintings, and look at how often the subject actually falls clearly on a one-third line, versus how often it is clearly contained within a one-third region, versus a no-clear-alignment situation. You might find yourself surprised.

 

[Fred Berg]

The ROT is a good guide to keep in mind, but you can easily take these things to extremes. I suppose that if you really want to organise the space in your photos as close to classical thinking as possible, then you will also need to crop to an aspect ratio of 16:10 or 5:3 since these are the closest to the Golden Ratio. Most people use 3:2, 4:3 or 16:9 though, don't they? Some even use 1:1 (film types mostly with medium format gear, yeah!)

 

[KenC]

There are all sorts of compositions that work, including centered at times, so it's unfortunate that this ever got to be called a "rule" at all. I agree that beginners should try to keep the subject out of the center so they are forced to explore compositions other than the most obvious one. After a while observation of photos and art should enable them to learn when centered works and when it doesn't, at least if they look at any photos or art.

 

[Buckster]

it's unfortunate that this ever got to be called a "rule" at all.

It's a general rule, a guideline, a suggestion, one of the things to keep in mind as a starting foundation in composition.

The focus on the word "rule" as though it's a law that must be followed every time is what's unfortunate.

 

[pgriz]

I've had a discussion of the value of using the rule of thirds in visual work with some designers and photographers, and as can be expected, there was a variety of opinions. One observation, that I found interesting, was that placing a person on the one-third line facing in, appears to create an "interior" space (the 2/3 region in front of them) and the "exterior" space (the 1/3 region behind them). This feels "natural". If you now have the same person facing the other way, towards the near edge, the image appears to change to having a cramped "interior" space, and a wasted "exterior" space, and feels strained. One of our club photographer used this effect very well, portraying an angry person, and the positioning in the frame in this way created a very strong reaction in most viwers.


Another observation was that putting the subject at the edge between the regions allowed the eye to start there an then naturally flow to the center, or at least across the middle to the other "side". One of the criticisms of centering a non-symmetrical subject, is that the eye does not know where to go next after it starts in the center.

 

[Derrel]

I've had a discussion of the value of using the rule of thirds in visual work with some designers and photographers, and as can be expected, there was a variety of opinions. One observation, that I found interesting, was that placing a person on the one-third line facing in, appears to create an "interior" space (the 2/3 region in front of them) and the "exterior" space (the 1/3 region behind them). This feels "natural". If you now have the same person facing the other way, towards the near edge, the image appears to change to having a cramped "interior" space, and a wasted "exterior" space, and feels strained. One of our club photographer used this effect very well, portraying an angry person, and the positioning in the frame in this way created a very strong reaction in most viwers.


Another observation was that putting the subject at the edge between the regions allowed the eye to start there an then naturally flow to the center, or at least across the middle to the other "side". One of the criticisms of centering a non-symmetrical subject, is that the eye does not know where to go next after it starts in the center.

We see this excellent principle pgriz is talking about--often used INCORRECTLY a huge percentage of the time when self-taught shooters do photos of car "drifting" competitions, as well as many other types of automobile and motorcycle racing...they place the car or motorcycle so that it appears to be "slamming into the edge" of the frame...and when told to allow more space "in front of" the vehicle, many of these folks seem to get a bit testy, and tell us, "they like it framed equally", or "they like it that way." Next time a race car, or motorcycle racing post comes up, check this out. See how awful photos look when the vehicle doesn't have enough space to visually "drive into".

 

[KmH]

I have always known the 4 points where the ROT lines intersect as 'power points'. e-Book on the Rule of Thirds

 

[amolitor]

Basically, I am just amused that the painters and graphic designers made a rule, or guideline, or principle, that says "put the important things anywhere but on these lines", and that got converted by photographers in to "put important things on not one but two of these lines" which is the exact opposite.