{"id":331,"date":"2014-03-08T18:03:39","date_gmt":"2014-03-08T18:03:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kenkoskela.com\/blog\/?p=331"},"modified":"2018-06-23T16:19:02","modified_gmt":"2018-06-23T16:19:02","slug":"the-rule-of-thirds-part-1-following-the-rule","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kenkoskela.com\/blog\/the-rule-of-thirds-part-1-following-the-rule\/","title":{"rendered":"The “Rule of Thirds” – Part 1 – Following the Rule"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to Part 1 of a 2-part blog on the “rule of thirds”. The rule of thirds is perhaps the most well-known guideline in art and photographic composition. Part 1 focuses on creating images that follow<\/strong> the rule. For you rebels out there, Part 2 focuses on breaking<\/strong> the rule. So, there is something for everyone in this blog.<\/p>\n

First, what is the “rule of thirds”? Let’s start with what it is not. Take a look at the image below. This is your typical awful, boring vacation snapshot that your college roommate just brought back from a weekend trip to Chicago. Only it is not just this one picture\u2026 your roommate has seven of the same shot and you need to look at all of them. Notice how the subject is dead center (left to right), the horizon line is very close to the bottom (and crooked) and there is too much sky in the picture. The picture just looks off-balance and compositionally boring. This picture is a snapshot and does NOT follow the rule of thirds.<\/p>\n

\"Lighthouse\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Now, take a look at this next image of a fisherman I shot in Guilin, China. <\/p>\n

\"asia,china,chinese,cormorant,fish,fisherman,guilin,horizontal,household,lamp,lantern,li<\/a>
<\/p>\n

Morning on the Li<\/a> : Prints Available<\/a><\/p>\n

Chinese fisherman silhouette on the Li River<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Notice that this image really works compositionally. This one doesn’t look like your roommate’s vacation snapshot. One reason this picture works so well is because it follows the rule of thirds. Now, I haven’t forgotten that I still haven’t really told you what the rule is. So, let’s do that now. Let me take this same image and put a “tic-tac-toe” grid over it using two horizontal and two vertical lines, each 1\/3 of the way into the scene.<\/p>\n

\"Morning<\/a><\/p>\n

To follow the rule of thirds, you place “points of interest” (the subject, horizon lines, etc) 1\/3 of the way into the image, using both the lines and the intersections of the lines to guide you. You would often place your subject (or a key part of your subject) at one of the intersections and also use the lines themselves for important parts of the picture. In the image above, I placed the fisherman at the lower right intersection, while the horizon line and mountains are generally along the top line.<\/p>\n

So, how do you know which line(s) and intersection(s) to place your subject and points of interest at or along? Good question! Remember, photography is more about what works as opposed to following rules. However, here are three guidelines to consider:<\/p>\n