Rule of thirds in photography. Basics of composition in photography Division into thirds photography

Rule of thirds in photography

Even novice photographers have already heard about the rule of thirds. It is also called the golden ratio rule. But not everyone accurately understands its essence.

In our youth, we didn’t really care about following any rules when taking photographs. When shooting landscapes, we ensured that the horizon line was almost in the very center of the frame. We also tried to place the person in the center. Don't believe me? Take a look at your family photo album and you will immediately see that this statement is correct. All sorts of rules for constructing a composition appeared not very long ago. They help achieve more expressive shots. But it is not always necessary to use all these rules. Some photographers specifically engage in experiments, which result in very good shots that only envious competitors can call them monstrous.
Rules of the golden ratio and 1/3 in photography

To follow the 1/3 rule in photography, you should use a 3x3 grid. Its display can be enabled in almost any digital camera. This grid divides the frame with black or white lines into three equal blocks vertically and horizontally. The rule of thirds in photography requires that the main subjects be at the intersection of lines. It is believed that the human eye primarily looks at these points, which is why the picture in this case seems more beautiful.

The rule of the golden ratio in photography is applied everywhere. It must be followed even when shooting landscapes. The horizon line is best placed along one of two horizontal lines. Otherwise, the frame will be split in half, which is unsightly. Any division of the photo in half confuses the viewer. He cannot decide which area of ​​the frame is more important.

Enabling the grid display is only necessary in the first months of photography. After this or less time, you will learn to determine the golden ratio points by eye.
Simple rules of composition in photography

Many objects in our world are similar in shape to geometric figures. Take a look around your room, office, or outside. You will find many squares, ellipses, triangles and circles. Each such form evokes certain emotions in the viewer. The rule of geometric composition came to photography from psychology, and it is also often used.

Looking at a square or rectangular object for a long time gives the viewer a sense of stability. The triangular shapes help the viewer gain a sense of stability. But only if the triangle is installed on its base. In the case of an inverted triangle, mixed feelings arise and a feeling of anxiety appears.

The opposite feelings are caused by viewing round objects. In this case, the viewer has a feeling of complete peace and comfort. Is this why photographs of food placed in round plates have become so popular?
Basic rules for good photography

The list of golden rules of photography also includes a competent display of perspective. This applies to shooting landscapes at maximum depth of field.

The camera is different from the human gaze. Most of us look at the world with two eyes, which is why objects appear three-dimensional. We must not forget that the camera is equipped with only one lens, so the feeling of volume must be artificially evoked. To do this, try to shoot in places where the foreground, middle and background are clearly visible.
When shooting a portrait, three-dimensionality is achieved more easily. The photographer simply opens the aperture as wide as possible, after which the background becomes blurred.

Correct perspective is also conveyed with the help of light. But this requires suitable weather. For example, the middle ground of your photo might highlight the morning fog, while the background features mountains or large hills. Let there be shrubs or small trees in the foreground. Clouds that hide sunlight in certain areas of the flat area can also help in this matter. Also, do not forget to remember that light objects appear more distant in a photograph, and dark objects appear closer. The dark foreground further enhances the sense of depth.
Color composition

Another simple rule of photography, which was discovered by psychologists. Different colors evoke certain sensations in the viewer when viewed for a long time.

Colors are divided into two groups. Warm colors are yellow, red and orange. When viewing photographs saturated with such colors, associations arise with the sun, summer and warmth. The group of cool colors includes pink, purple and blue shades. When viewing them, the viewer has associations with cold, water and winter.
The saturation of color also influences the viewer’s emotions. A photograph with soft tones evokes calmer feelings. Bright colors excite the viewer and excite him. That is why photographs in bright colors are most often used in advertising. The advertiser needs to remember his brand.

Be very careful when choosing the color component of your photo. It would be very stupid if bright spots of color are found near the main subject of photography. They will only distract the viewer.
Black and white photography

To convey emotions more deeply, many photographers use black and white photography. The rules of photography state that volume is conveyed much better in such photographs. But conveying a feeling of happiness and peace through black and white photography is very difficult.

When creating photographs like this, remember that the viewer's eye will first pick out the light details. The person moves to the dark areas of the photo last. There is even a special optical illusion based on this theory. Take a photo in black and white of a sheet of paper with stripes of the same thickness applied to it. The white stripes in the photo will appear thicker than the black ones. From this it follows that in a black and white photograph the main objects should be light and stand out against a dark background. Otherwise, the person's eye will focus on something else.
Diagonal rule

Another rule of composition in photography concerns the viewer's gaze. You must make him move from the less important object to the most important one. This is sometimes very difficult to do. Diagonal lines help most in this regard - roads, sea waves, power lines and much more.

The lines do not have to be straight, only their direction is important. The ideal photo would be one in which the line runs from the bottom left corner of the frame to the top right. This will allow the viewer’s gaze to climb in the same direction. The presence of such lines immediately adds dynamics to the picture. If the line is descending, then the photograph will evoke peace and tranquility in the viewer.

Conclusion
These were the basic rules of photography. In fact, there are many more of them. But these are the ones you should keep in mind. Don’t forget to experiment, throwing away the rules of good photography for a while. This is especially true when shooting with mobile devices or unusual lenses.

The "rule of thirds" is one of the most important compositional techniques in photography.
In this article, we'll introduce you to the use of the "rule of thirds" in different genres of photography, from landscape to portraiture.

Of course, rules should never be applied blindly, especially in art, so the “rule of thirds,” like other compositional rules, should be treated as a practical guideline, not a dogma. In most cases, this technique will produce interesting, balanced images and will serve as an excellent starting point when building a composition.
What is the "rule of thirds"?

Applying the "rule of thirds" involves mentally dividing the image with two horizontal and two vertical lines, as in the image below. Then you should place the key elements of the photo at the intersection points of these lines.

Martin Gommel .

A grid demonstrating the "rule of thirds". The most important elements (the barn and the boundaries between the ground and the trees) are located along the lines and at their intersections.

The point of this rule is that this composition is pleasing to the eye and looks more natural than photos in which the subject is located directly in the center. The "rule of thirds" forces us to get creative with our use of "negative space" - the empty areas in a photo around the subject.

How to apply the "rule of thirds" in practice?

When composing your photo, mentally divide the scene as described above. Decide which elements of the photograph are the most important and try to arrange them along the lines and at their intersections. This does not mean that they must be located exactly at these points; it is quite enough if they are located close to them.

The horizon line and the main subject in this photo are located by the “rule of thirds” near the points of intersection of the lines, which makes the photo more effective.

You'll likely have to work with your feet to find the best composition. But it will also help you think better about the composition of your photo, whether you use the rule of thirds or not.

On some cameras, the grid of thirds lines is visible when you look through the viewfinder. Thanks to it, you don’t have to guess by eye where the intersection points are and you can easily choose the correct location of objects.

Examples of applying the "rule of thirds"

The "rule of thirds" is very universal and can be applied to most genres of photography. The following are some examples of how it can be used in photography.

Andreas Wonisch
Beginning photographers, when shooting landscapes, often place the horizon in the center of the frame and create the impression of a broken picture. The horizon should be placed along one of the horizontal lines in accordance with the “rule of thirds”.

Try to add some interesting objects into the photo, like the tree above, and remember to place them according to the rule of thirds. Then a “magnet” will appear in the picture - a point to which the audience’s attention will be drawn.

In the photo above, the main subject is at the intersection, along one of the vertical lines. The branch approximately coincides with one of the horizontal lines. Empty space in the bottom left corner gives balance and keeps the photo from becoming cluttered with unnecessary details.

Vertical objects, like the lighthouse in the photo above, can split (like the horizon line we already talked about) a photo into two parts. To prevent this unwanted effect, place the subject off-center in the frame.

muskva

When photographing moving subjects, try to position the subject in the direction of movement. As a general rule, it's a good idea to leave more space in front of the subject than behind it to show the direction of movement.

Using photo processing programs

You can apply the "rule of thirds" to your photography by cropping. By cropping, you can change the location of significant objects in the photo, moving them to better positions.

Jenn Forman Orth

Programs such as Photoshop and Lightroom have crop tools that follow the “rule of thirds.” The tool overlays a grid with lines of thirds, which helps you get the right composition.

Break the rules

Applying the "rule of thirds" and other compositional rules is not necessary in every situation. Sometimes breaking the rules can help you get more interesting and exciting photos. Experiment and try different compositions, even if it goes against all the rules you know.

But before you start breaking the rules, you should first learn how to apply them. Then you will experiment meaningfully, improving the composition, and not just for the sake of experimenting.

Author
Translation

The “rule of thirds” is the basics of photography, which is mentioned in many books as one of the ways to construct a frame composition. The basic idea is that while shooting, a 3x3 grid is displayed on the screen, which divides the frame into 9 equal rectangles. Thus, this tool tells you how to build the correct composition of the frame at the shooting stage - placing the most important objects in those places where the lines intersect.

If you believe the concept of rule three, then the most successful picture for visual perception looks like this - the main object of the frame is located at the intersection points of the grid, and the horizon runs along one of the horizontal lines.

From a composition point of view, this is a pretty good photo. The skier and the highest peak are located on the first vertical line, with both of them close to the intersection points. So this photo looks good because it follows the rule of thirds? Let's figure it out.

Problems with the rule of thirds

In fact, there are none. The Rule of Thirds is one of the simplest compositional guidelines. First of all, it is intended to ensure that you do not make serious mistakes. Good composition is about more than just placing important image objects at the intersection points of a 3x3 grid.

Another point worth mentioning is that you can apply a grid to almost any image and find that the main features of the photo fall into the intersection points.

Can these photographs be said to apply the rule of thirds? Of course, but don’t forget the statement from the beginning of this section that this method helps to avoid serious frame errors. Let's pay attention to them.

What does the rule of thirds do?

The best this method can do is prevent you from placing your subject too close to the edge of the frame, or worse, cutting it off at the edge. Take a look at this disgusting example.

The 3x3 grid also tells you not to center an object unless you have to. Photos with central placement look flat, ordinary, boring and not dynamic. Try to avoid such placement.

For beginners, the rule of thirds is a convenient method for creating photo composition, but you shouldn't get hung up on it. Let's see what we can do better.

Best approach

Effective composition is quite a complex subject because there are so many different details that can be used in a frame to guide your eye. A real master class in this matter can be taught by great artists such as Da Vinci, Van Gogh and Picasso. They certainly didn't create their masterpieces using the rule of thirds alone. Let's look at what makes this photo of a skier interesting.

By overlaying the 3x3 grid, it becomes clear that the rule of thirds suits him, but not in terms of a strong composition.

What happens in this photo is that the leading lines draw your eye to the person on skis, who is contrasted against the snow. In addition, the image is balanced, in which the foreground, mountains and sky occupy approximately the same space and are clearly distinguishable from each other. The example below shows the main guide lines.

As you've probably already noticed, all the lines direct your gaze to the focal point - the skier and the mountain behind him. Our eyes primarily pick out contrasting and bright areas with saturated colors. The man is at the intersection between the bright foreground and the darkened mountains and sky. He is also the only orange object in the almost monochrome, cool-toned scene. You can't take your eyes off him.

Another important point is the strong diagonal, which makes this image much better, adding dynamics. This solution not only directs the skier's gaze, but also neatly separates the foreground from the background, and also gives a sense of speed.

What to do next

We hope this article has given you an understanding of the rule of thirds and that there are many more techniques used to create a composition than just a 3x3 grid. However, this simple method will help you prioritize your frame and fill it better, so be sure to turn on the grid display on your smartphone camera. Don't forget to check out our detailed

There are three important components to any photography. These are the photographer’s technical equipment, camera settings and, most importantly, a creative approach to the subject of photography. If we ignore the entire technical component, it is the creative decision of the photographer that can turn a frame into a masterpiece of photographic art. There are certain rules by which the composition of the frame is built. The rule of thirds as the basis of composition will be our theme. This rule is useful for beginning photographers, but it is not an axiom that must be followed.

What is the rule of thirds

Often, novice amateur photographers, looking at ready-made photographs, are surprised that the photograph is completely different from what they took. The most interesting thing that was present at the time of shooting turned out hidden and did not stand out at all. The photo turned out faceless and expressionless. Some amateur photographers begin to blame the camera for everything, but it is only a tool in the hands of the artist. With the right composition, even an inexpensive camera can take beautiful shots. A bad photo may come out because one of the rules of frame composition or the rule of thirds was violated. Even ancient mathematicians proved that everything in the world around us is built according to strict mathematical laws. A person, perceiving the environment through the organs of vision, subconsciously fixes his attention on strictly defined points. Everything that is outside these points is perceived as insignificant and secondary. This rule fully applies to photography.

Frame construction

In order to correctly build the composition of a future photograph, you can use the discussed rule. This composition system is a simplified version adapted for photography, on which the structure of all living objects is based. This law used in photography is as follows. It allows you to determine and establish the visual centers of the image field. These may sometimes be called power points or attraction zones. The entire field of view or frame that the photographer sees through the viewfinder should be divided into nine parts, drawing two horizontal and two vertical lines.

The points forming the central rectangle are 3/8 and 5/8 from the frame boundaries. It is what is located at these four points that the observer’s attention is focused on. Somewhat less importance is attached to the straight lines themselves, but they also play an important role in the rule of thirds. Since the rule of thirds in photography does not necessarily correspond to the ideal golden ratio, in a simplified version, the frame is divided into three equal parts along each side. Most camera models already have such a grid in the viewfinder field. Some models allow you to turn the grid on or off as needed. To enhance the effect of perception and focus attention on certain details of the image, the following techniques can be used in photography:

• Rule of thirds;
• Golden ratio;
• The principle of diagonals;
• Hogarth Line;
• Carnu spiral.

All these rules are based on attempts to bring the artist’s creative process and his vision of the world around him to mathematical modeling. But not always the set goal can be achieved using mathematical methods.

How to use in photography

It is impossible to give universal advice on frame composition. Here, a lot depends on the subjects being photographed, the number of important objects, the presence of minor and completely unnecessary details. Using the rule of thirds in photography, you should not overload the frame with important elements. It is better to take several photographs, each of which will be dominated by one interesting object.

Portrait photography

You must first choose the image scale, and then use the rule of thirds. If the portrait is a head portrait, then the eyes or at least one eye should be placed at the point of the crosshairs of the lines. The lips are usually in second place in importance. Placing these elements in the visual centers of the frame allows you to enhance the overall impression of the portrait.

The half-length portrait contains hands. In some cases they may dominate. When a person looks into the distance above the photographer’s head, and his arms are crossed on his chest, then they should be in the zone of attraction, in accordance with the rule of thirds. This pose indicates strength and determination, and the position of the hands emphasizes this. When making a full-length portrait of one person, he should not be placed in the center of the photo. It is better to shoot it if it is in the left or right third of the photo. Placing a person on the left side is preferable, since reading develops a strong habit of viewing any image from left to right. Groups of people are best placed on two levels. This is how group portraits were taken back in the 20th century. The first row or group of people sits, and the next one behind them stands at full height. Thus, they are located on two horizontal lines exactly according to the rule of thirds. The psychology of perception gives photographers another important piece of advice. The most important or dominant object should be placed at the bottom right point of the center rectangle.

Landscape photography

An important function is assigned to the horizon line. This is especially important if it is a straight line, as in seascapes. Depending on where interesting objects are located, on the sea or on land, you should choose the location of the horizon line. In any case, this line must coincide with one of the two horizontal lines according to the rule of thirds. In this case, the photograph is clearly divided into three parts, of which two parts are land and one part is sea, or vice versa. In the same way, you can shoot wheat fields, plains or desert dunes against the sky.

Sometimes the laws don't apply

The rule of thirds is not mandatory and when the composition requires it, it can and should be broken. An example of such a violation is a photograph of a flat water surface in which the sky with clouds is mirrored. You cannot use the rule of thirds here, as you may lose the beauty and uniqueness of this plot. In this case, the horizon line runs exactly in the middle of the photo, and the sky and its reflection in the water are absolutely symmetrical relative to the horizon. When it has become easier to shoot, and all the photos are successful, you should take a risky step. You need to completely forget about this rule. This is the advice of world-class photographers, whose works receive gold medals at international exhibitions.

Most people who practice photography are well aware that composition is fundamental. Unless a beginner may have doubts about where to start when studying this type of art. And even despite the fact that everyone knows the principle that it is impossible to place an object directly in the center of the frame, it is still worth recalling what the Rule of Thirds is based on and how it is applied in portrait and street photography.

EOS M5, EF-M55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM lens, f/4.5, 55mm, 1/1600sec, ISO320

Rule of Thirds: A Quick Guide

According to this rule, a photograph is mentally divided into a grid with nine equal parts, which are formed by two horizontal and vertical lines. These lines intersect four times, and it is around these points that you want to place objects in the frame. This way you draw the viewer's eye to the important object in the most natural way.

EOS M5, EF-M55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM lens, f/5.0, 100mm, 1/1600sec, ISO320

Portrait photography

Portrait photography provides a great opportunity to practice applying the Rule of Thirds because, unlike street photography, the photographer has plenty of time to position his subject, get the composition just right, and get the picture perfect.

EOS M5, EF-M55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM lens, f/4.5, 55mm, 1/640sec, ISO320

Placing the subject in the center of the photo is not attractive.

In the photo above, you can see that the subject's face is not at any of the four intersections, but is located in the middle - at the "dead center of the photo." Although, of course, this is how we would see the world around us and any objects if we were looking straight, nevertheless, the central location of the object in the frame does not make the photo attractive and can look rather awkward.

EOS M5, EF-M55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM lens, f/4.5, 55mm, 1/1250sec, ISO320

Placing your subject along thirds of the frame makes the photo more pleasing.

Street photography

Street photography is the image of people and the environment captured in life, in their natural state, where the photographer must blend into the background, be invisible and not influence what is happening in the frame with his presence.

There is no posing in street photography, so, of course, there is no time to waste when the opportunity to take a photo arises. The photographer may only have a few seconds to take the photo before the subject moves on or moves away.

However, the principles of the Rule of Thirds are strictly applied. It's possible to take breathtaking photographs if you use the intersection points as guides for placing objects

EOS M5, EF-M55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM lens, f/6.3, 200mm, 1/1250sec, ISO320

In the photo, the object is placed along a vertical line.

Practice makes perfect

EOS M5, EF-M55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM lens, f/4.5, 55mm, 1/60sec, ISO320

Use the Rule of Thirds even in group photography.

This quick guide will help you get started, but the important part is to get outside and practice as much as possible. The rule of thirds is a useful method, especially when starting out in photography, it needs to be mastered perfectly in order to further develop your own preferences and style.