Have you ever looked at a picture and wondered what the photographer was thinking when they took the shot?  I have, and I've learned that there's actually a lot going through their mind – considerations for exposure compensation, aperture, focus point, shutter speed, focal distance and more.  They're often considering all sorts of trade-offs.  For most people, however, the process is far simpler.  They see something they want to remember, they pull out their camera or the camera on their phone, and they just take the picture.  They’re not interested in rules.

There’s one rule, however, that everyone should consider and that can instantly transform your images.  It’s called The Rule of Thirds, and it provides a way of thinking about what you see through the lens.  This is a rule that was referenced as far back as in the late 1700’s, and has been used by visual artists ever since.  Carefully watch scenes from any movie or TV show and you’ll see the rule in action.

The rule forces you to think of a scene with a 3x3 grid laid over it.  How you place your subject within that grid, and how you align the cross-points of the grid (the “power points”) will help you craft a more powerful image.  Here are three key elements of the rule that you can use today to start taking more impactful pictures.

Entrance Stairway at Boston Public Library

1. Place your subject at one of the power points

In this picture of one of the lion statues in the entrance stairway at the Boston Public Library, notice how the lion is positioned close to one of the cross-points of the grid.  These are points that naturally draw the eye to the subject.  Most DSLR cameras provide a grid for you in the viewfinder, and mobile phones allow you to turn on a grid from the settings for the camera.

You don’t have to place the subject exactly on the cross-point, but target that spot for maximum effect.  In the BPL picture there’s a second subject (the chandelier) that is also close to a cross-point, and the composition makes the lion appear as if it’s staring at the chandelier, telling a story in the process.

Sunrise over Farm Pond

2. Place the horizon on one of the horizontal lines

This sunrise picture was taken at Farm Pond, and I placed the horizon (in this case the other side of the pond) on the bottom horizontal line.  This gave the colorful cloud-filled sky the position of prominence in the image.  Not all pictures will have a horizon, but if you’re trying to capture that amazing sunset, consider giving the sky, clouds and color their proper share of the space.

Zack getting a dose of refreshment

3.  Give your subject “room to breathe”

By placing your subject within the left or right third of the image, you create space in the image.  This could be space into which the subject is looking or moving, and by composing the image with that space you create a sense of that movement.  It could also be space that helps tell the story.  In this image Zack and his recently hose-sprayed face are in the right 1/3^rd of the picture, and the spray is drifting into the rest of the image.

Once I’d seen this rule described I couldn’t stop seeing a possible picture without the grid over it, and most of my images now incorporate a consideration for the rule in some way.  I’m not a slave to the rule, nor should you be.  But I guarantee if you start thinking about the Rule of Thirds when you pull out your camera and compose your next shot, you’ll take your images to the next level.

I’d love to see your images with the Rule of Thirds incorporated…click over to Nations Photography on Facebook and post some of your images there, and tell me how you used the grid in your composition.