Most people who take photographs are well aware that composition is fundamental. Unless a beginner may doubt where to start when studying this art form. And even though everyone has heard 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, the 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 it is desirable to place objects in the frame. This is how you draw the eye of the audience 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 their subject the right way, build the right composition, and get the perfect shot.
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 in any of the four intersections, but in the middle - in the "dead center of the photo". Although, of course, this is how we would see the world around us and any objects if we looked directly, 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 for a nicer photo.
street photography
Street photography is the depiction of people and environments 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.
In street photography, there is no staging, so, of course, there is not a minute to waste when the opportunity arises to take a shot. The photographer may only have a few seconds to take the picture before the subject continues to move or leaves.
However, the principles of the Rule of Thirds apply rigorously. Capturing breathtaking photos is quite possible if you use intersection points as reference points 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 creates perfection
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 a group photo.
This quick guide will get you started, but the important step is to get outside and practice as much as you can. The rule of thirds is a useful technique, especially for the very beginning of photography, it must be mastered perfectly in order to further develop your own preferences and style.
Rules of composition in photography
- Rule of thirds
- golden section rule
- Diagonal rule
- Beginner Tips
Composition rules
How to make a photo interesting, expressive, eye-catching?
Taking a picture is not enough to create a photograph. It is necessary to harmoniously place objects in the picture, filling it with meaning. There are different ways and rules to create a harmonious composition. Sometimes it is enough to place the subjects in certain places. In other cases, it is enough to choose the right shooting point for this. A slight shift in the position of the camera can make a significant difference in the composition.
To give expression to your photographs, apply the rules of composition.
Rule of thirds
We divide the frame into three equal parts horizontally and vertically. The result is a grid that you see in the image. The rule is based on the fact that objects located at the intersection of lines correspond to the best visual perception. Thus, a significant object of survey should be located either along the lines or at the points of intersection of these lines:
When shooting natural landscapes, the most interesting photographs are those in which the horizon is located according to the rule of thirds. Which line is the horizon on? It depends on what you want to focus the viewer's attention on. In the first case, it is a beautiful landscape on earth. In the second case, we focus on an interesting, expressive sky:
golden section rule
Diagonal rule
According to the diagonal rule, important image elements should be set along the diagonal lines shown in the examples. A diagonal composition with a direction from the lower left corner to the upper right corner is calmer than one built on the opposite, more dynamic diagonal.
Linear elements such as roads, waterways, and fences set diagonally tend to make the scenery more dynamic than horizontal ones:
Diagonal Golden Ratio Rule
Another application of the golden ratio rule. Let's apply a diagonal grid to the image as shown in the photo below. The main objects of the image should be located in the received sections.
Hold the camera at the level of the subject. Do not shoot directly from the bottom up or from your height down unless you want to achieve a special effect. For example, if you are shooting children, go down to the level of their eyes, otherwise you will get distorted proportions.
Make sure that the main subject of the picture does not blend into the background. If you are shooting a single subject, then try to choose a simple background, the details of which will not distract the viewer. In some cases, it makes sense to make the subject occupy the vast majority of the area of the frame itself.
Use branches, trees, etc. to create a border effect. This way you emphasize the main object. The frame can also help to create a more voluminous frame (do not make the frame the main semantic element).
If you are shooting a moving object, then leave space in the photo in front of the object, that is, in the direction of its movement. In other words, position your subject as if it just entered the photo, rather than leaving it.
Try to ensure that the light source is behind you. And also avoid bright lights or colorful spots away from the main plot. It distracts the viewer.
Try to make a balanced composition so that the top of the photo doesn't look "heavier" than the bottom. This rule also applies to the sides of the image.
Include an odd number of identical objects in the frame. One or three flowers look better than two or four.
If you are shooting a building, then choose an angle that shows both its facade and side. It will look much more voluminous than just a facade.
Composition should not play an independent role. Just as speech has the meaning of a transmitter of thought, composition serves only as a means for expressing the author's thought.
The source of information: http://www.colorpilot.ru/comp_rules.html
additional article for those who could not figure it out: http://cifrovik.ru/publish/open_article/15363/
Discussion of the article "The Golden Ratio and the Rule of Thirds in Photography."
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Anonymous (09.11.13 21:32) :
Anonymous (09.11.13 21:27): the rule of "balanced composition" leads to the placement of the main objects in the center of the vertical and horizontal components, which cancels all principles)
The rule of thirds is an important part of photography technique. It can be applied to any type of photo (portrait, landscape, etc.) to improve the composition and balance of your photo. This rule is one of the most useful. It is essential to understand it in order to know exactly and understand how it can be used to produce more attractive and balanced images.
Of course, the rules should not be applied blindly, especially in the arts. However, it will produce good photos more often and is a great starting point for any composition.
What is this rule of thirds?
The rule of thirds is a mental division of the image into 9 parts using 2 horizontal and 2 vertical lines, as shown in the figure below. And the location of important elements of photography at the intersection of lines or along them.
Third grid rule. Important elements (the barn, and the border between the land and the trees) are located along the line and at the intersections of the lines. Image by Martin Gommel.
The idea is that it is more pleasing to the eye and more natural to have the centers of the composition not directly in the middle of the frame. They evoke the imagination through the creative use of negative space (blank spaces around the subject).
How to use the rule of thirds?
When framing a photo, mentally overlay the grid and decide for yourself which subjects are the most important. After that, try to set them on or near the lines and/or intersection points of this grid. There may not be a perfect match.
The horizon and the main subject (in this case, the woman) of this photograph were placed near the intersection of the lines, or as close as possible to them. Image K Praslowicz.
You may need to change your shooting angle to fit this composition rule. Which will make you take a more balanced approach to shooting, and become a good habit.
To help the photographer, some cameras have a feature that superimposes a virtual grid on the frames while shooting. Accordingly, you no longer need to imagine anything and you can position your photos more accurately.
Examples
The rule of thirds is very flexible and can be used for any photo. Below are examples of photos that use this rule effectively.
Image by Megan Leetz.
When shooting landscapes, placing the horizon in the center of the frame gives the feeling of splitting the frame in half, and this is very felt when looking at the photo. Instead, the horizon line should be placed along one of the horizontal grid lines. Also try to include some other interesting object like the tree in the photo above and place it according to the rule of thirds. This will create, as it were, an “anchor”, an anchor for looking at the picture, creating a focus point.
Image by Andreas Wonisch.
It was a good idea to place the girl away from the center. This provides some "breathing space" to the eye, showing the surroundings around the main subject. When looking at a portrait, we naturally pay attention to the eyes. If possible, place them in one of the grid's crosshairs.
Picture of Prem Anandh.
Here the main subject was placed at one of the intersections and also along one of the vertical grid lines. The twig runs along (roughly) the top horizontal line. And the empty space in the lower left corner provides balance and saves the photo from oversaturation.
Image by Dennis Jarvis.
Vertical subjects like this lighthouse can split a photo in two, in much the same way that a horizon can split a photo horizontally. To avoid this, place them off-center in your composition.
Muskva image.
When shooting moving subjects, try to place them as you would a static, still subject, but pay attention to the direction of movement. It's better to leave some space in front of them than behind them to show where the traffic is going.
Using editing software
You can easily apply the rule of thirds to existing photos by cropping them properly. This will move important items to a more composite position.
Reframing a photo can improve its composition. Image by Jenn Forman Orth.
To make life easier for photographers, programs like Photoshop and Lightroom have built-in grid assistants that include a rule of thirds option. The grid is superimposed on top of the photo and you frame based on it.
break the rules
Like all rules (at least in the field of photography), the rule of thirds does not apply in every situation, and sometimes breaking it can lead to much more attractive and interesting photos. Experiment and try different compositions, even if they go against whatever "rules" you've learned. However, learn how to use the rule of thirds effectively before you break it.
So, let's imagine that you have already figured out such basic concepts as, but for some reason this knowledge does not make your photos expressive and memorable. The fact is that to create a beautiful photo, it is not enough just to fix the image, you need to create a harmonious composition in the frame. This can be achieved either by placing objects in the frame in a certain way, or by choosing the right angle for shooting, or by cropping the photo during processing. There are several traditional rules of composition in photography: the rule of thirds, the golden ratio, the rule of diagonals and the rule of the diagonal golden ratio. Let's start with the rule of thirds.
What is the rule of thirds
Mentally divide the image into three parts vertically and horizontally so that you get 9 squares of the same size. Our perception is arranged in such a way that we cannot keep in mind all parts of the photo at the same time. Therefore, for a better perception of the entire photograph, it is necessary to indicate the places where the viewer's eye should linger. By placing the most important objects along the lines or at their intersection points, you thereby focus the viewer's attention on the main objects in the frame. Examples of violations and compliance with the rule of thirds
In this case, the rule of thirds is violated both horizontally and vertically. If you follow the rule of thirds, then the horizon should not pass strictly in the middle of the frame, just as the figure of a person should not divide the photo in half vertically. In the photo below, both the horizon line and the human figure are located along the lines of thirds, which makes the composition more harmonious.
How to Use the Rule of Thirds: Tips. Ask yourself a couple of questions before taking a photo:
- What are the main, important subjects for this photo?
- Where do I want to place them: at intersection points or along lines?
2. Remember that in a landscape it is better to place the horizon on the upper or lower third line, and not in the center, and it is better to move a lone tree or a human figure to one of the vertical lines. 3. In the case of single portraits, place the eyes of the subject along the top line of the third line. In group portraits, faces are arranged along the lines of thirds.
Test yourself
Not so long ago we talked about the golden ratio and how you can crop a picture after it has been taken. But when you are shooting, you are unlikely to have the time and opportunity to superimpose the Fibonacci spiral on the picture. Therefore, master the rule of thirds to take good pictures, as close as possible to the rule of the golden ratio.
Rule of thirds in photography
Mentally separate the photo with two horizontal lines and two vertical lines. The subjects you want to focus on in the frame should be placed at or along the intersection of these four lines. This rule works especially well during landscape photography.
This fairly simple rule will allow you to take good pictures. The rule of thirds is successfully applied in photography, drawing and design.
Moreover, if there is only one object in your picture, place it on the left side of the frame. The fact is that viewers have a habit of viewing images from left to right, which is developed by reading.
If there are several key objects in the picture, position the dominant object at the lower right point. This frame arrangement takes into account the fact that a person best perceives the information received at the beginning and at the end of the viewing. Even news releases are built according to this principle, making an overview of all stories at the beginning of the program and leaving the most neutral story for the finale in order to soften the perception of negative news, of which the majority is in the report.
It’s the same with photography: when looking at your photo, a person will best perceive the latest information received. This point is especially important to consider when photographing images with emotional overtones.
Rule of thirds in portraiture
The rule of thirds also applies to portraits. The main focus can be on the eyes or on the smile of the model. So, in the first photo, the expressive look of the girl first of all catches the eye, while in the picture below the main focus is on the boy's smile.
