Compose using the rule of thirds

Everything happens in threes. I’m not entirely sure that’s true, but somebody once said that and it seemed like an appropriate way to start this article, because that’s how a lot of the world’s strongest photographers see the world.

Just about anyone who has taken a photo class or read a photography book knows about the rule of thirds. However, given that cameras these days have come down in price so dramatically, we have a lot more lay people shooting high-end cameras… and not everyone has been exposed to this little tidbit of wisdom.

The rule of thirds is a compositional rule that has been around since the mid 19th century, used for composing elements of fine art paintings. The rule says you can improve the tension and energy in a picture by aligning major elements of the composition to a grid, which divides the image up into nine squares.

Two horizontal lines and two vertical lines, equally spaced from the edges of the image, create four intersecting points on an image. By aligning these points and these lines to the subject, you can improve the look and feel of the subject.

The idea is combat centering all your photographs. Certainly some photos demand being centered, and I won’t claim that every photo must adhere to the rule of thirds. By using the rule as more of a guide or suggestions, however, you’ll find many shots you’ve taken will benefit from a simple crop that can drastically alter the drama of the picture.