Improve Your Photos With The Rule Of The Third

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.

The Rule of the Third is not a new invention. Many years ago painters found out, that their paintings would be more balanced, if the main subject was placed one third or two thirds from the left and/or the bottom.

Actually one third is not the absolutely correct place to place the main subject. There is a very complex mathematically rule that describes the Golden Section. But as long as you are not showing your pictures to mathematicians, it is just fine to use one third as a rule.

So try to place your main subject in the third parts, when you are photographing. It can be either horizontal or vertically; or it can be 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.

Instead look at the frame. What is most interesting; the sky or the ground? If there are beautiful clouds in the sky, then this part should fill up two thirds of the picture. Are the subjects on the ground more interesting they should fill up the largest part.

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.

Feel free to break the Rule of the Thirds now that you know about it. There could be many reasons to do it by purpose.

Morten Elm is the editor of Foto Fan. Here you can read about fotos. You can also find information about subjects like kameratasker.

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