Creative Nature & Outdoor Photography by Brenda Tharp

Author:Brenda Tharp [Tharp, Brenda]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 978-0-307-78660-9
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
Published: 2011-04-05T04:00:00+00:00

YOSEMITE FALLS, YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, CALIFORNIA. It’s always interesting to me how things just “fall” into the right position! When I framed this scene of Yosemite Falls, the cascading water ended up very close to the right imaginary line in that rule of thirds grid. 17–40mm lens at 30mm, f/ 14 at 1/50 sec.

the rule of thirds

The phrase “rule of thirds” is used to describe a guideline for composition. Photographers took this rule from painters who had determined that pleasing compositions resulted from dividing the picture space into a 2:1 ratio—for example, two-thirds land to one-third sky, and that it brought order and stability to a picture. The formula of asymmetrical division evolved to become a standard in photographic composition, and you can use it to help make your photographs more harmonious.

Divide your 35mm photograph into thirds with two equally spaced imaginary lines, both horizontally and vertically, like a tic-tac-toe grid. This creates nine equal spaces in the picture. Place points of interest, objects, or elements on or near where the lines on the grid intersect, or anywhere along one of the imaginary lines. This placement commands attention and directs the eye away from the center of the frame, creating a more dynamic composition. For example, place a horizon line one-third in from the top or bottom of the frame aligning it near the imaginary horizontal line in that area. Place a vertical line, such as a flagpole or tree, one-third in from the left or right side of the frame. The intersecting points are the strongest positions within the frame; however, where you place your subject depends on the rest of the elements in the scene.

How the viewer enters the picture space can be an important factor in your deciding where to place your main subject. In Western cultures, we tend to read from top to bottom, left to right, so we are used to entering a frame from the upper left. If you place your subject on the upper right or lower right, the eye will have to travel across the picture space to get to it and will see whatever else you intended it to see in the process. If you place your subject on the left, in that nearest intersection to that entry point, the eye will get to it right away, and unless you have other things that will draw the eye into the rest of the picture space, the visual weight will sit at that top left area and the picture will not be well-balanced. Using that position usually requires lines to lead the eye elsewhere or other objects that let it visually jump to other parts of the frame. You have to think of both the positive and negative space in the frame when determining the best placement of your subject.

Though this formula provides a helpful guide for creating interesting compositions, don’t follow the rule so strictly that your compositions become predictable and static. It’s still important to evaluate what arrangement works best for your photograph, based on other factors that affect composition.

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