The Rule of the Third Explained

Posted by Georgy | 10/28/2009

By Morten Elm

It might seem a little bit complicated. But actually the Rule of the Third (also named the Golden Section) is pretty simple to use, if you just know how to divide a square into nine equal parts.

Before you do anything else, try to turn on your TV and find a news channel. Wait until you see the newsreader. Where is he sitting? In the middle of the picture? No, he is sitting either in the left or the right third. And that is the Rule of the Third.

Long before the photography painters found out, that if the main subject was placed either one third or two third from the top and/or from the left, the painting would look more balanced.

To be absolutely correct the right place to put the main subject is not exactly one third (or two third) from the border. There is a complicated mathematically rule that describes the exact place. But it is so close to one third that is fine enough for practically use. So as long as you are not showing your pictures to a mathematician, you will be fine.

So learn from the painters and place your subject in the third parts of the photography. It can be either vertically or horizontal; or both.

The Rule of the Third is especially important, when you are photographing the horizon. A classic mistake is to place it in the middle of the photo. But as you have learned, it will divide the photo in two parts. The result is an unbalanced photo.

So take a look at the subject and decide which part is the most interesting. Is it the sky or the ground? Are there beautiful clouds or are the subjects on the ground more interesting? Place two third of the photography with the most interesting part of the subject.

Some cameras cannot figure out the make the subject sharp, if it is not in the middle. If that is the case, you should just place the subject in the middle of the frame, only press down the release half and the turn the camera subsequently. This way the camera knows that your subject is.

Like all other photographic rules it is okay to break the Rule of the Thirds; as long as you do it on purpose and knows what you are doing.

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