subject in center?

[lance70]

Hello, my question is what's the reason for not having subjects directly in the center of your picture? Thank you.

 

[chrisburke]

makes them more interesting

 

[netriaus]

The rule of thirds -- off-center is generally more natural for the eye. Of course, the rule can be broken, or so I hear. You just have to know when it's appropriate to do so.

 

[dxqcanada]

There is no fast rule on that.

A subject can be anywhere as long as it works.
In most case's a subject off centre produces a more interesting image ... but a centred subject may cause a balanced image that works.

 

[Samanax]

Hello, my question is what's the reason for not having subjects directly in the center of your picture?

Has to do with good photo composition. Placing the subject right in the middle of the shot makes the photo static and boring.

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[uplander]

Unless the subject being static enhances the composition.
Their are several good books on composition out there and they will show when a centered object really works.

 

[Overread]

There is no right and wrong- I have seen shots with the subject in the centre which are fantastic - and I have seen shots where the subject is following the "rule of thirds" which are (compositionally) horrible.

The point is that the "Rule of Thirds" and other composition rules have been worked out and shown to lead to more interesting photography in a general sense. When starting out its good to work with and understand these concepts and conventions -- and then you can start to better understand and think about composition in a shot and what you want the composition to say - then you can start breaking the rules when needed

 

[Rushes]

The weakest part of the frame is dead centre. Our eyes are naturally drawn to the top left first and then across the right like this...

Start---->
->-- l
l l
l l
-------<-

Spiralling inwards until you reach the centre. Or so I was taught in my film class. The top left is the strongest part of the frame. This is referring to film (ie. motion picture film and not still photography) but the thirds composition applies to both so this may as well.

 

[Overread]

Spiralling inwards until you reach the centre. Or so I was taught in my film class. The top left is the strongest part of the frame. This is referring to film (ie. motion picture film and not still photography) but the thirds composition applies to both so this may as well.

provided that you grew up learning to read left to right from the top of a page. If your culture has right to left writing or even (I am sure there must be one somewhere) one where you read bottom to top then I would expect their tobe differences to the spiral.