39° North Photography

The Rule of Thirds is a compositional guideline in photography (and other visual forms of art) that can help you create a well-balanced and interesting photograph. The basic idea is to break a scene down into thirds both horizontally and vertically and to place important elements in the scene along the lines or at their intersections.

The main point of the Rule of Thirds is that you avoid centering the main compositional elements in a photo. Below is a good example of how NOT to compose a photo:

The Eiffel Tower from the Palais de Chaillot

While the horizon is in an ok spot, the Eiffel Tower sits smack dab in the center of the photo. Not so good. Let’s try again:

The Eiffel Tower from the Palais de Chaillot

This one is better. The Eiffel Tower fills the left third and the dramatic sky makes more of a statement, creating a much more dynamic and interesting photo.

The Rule of Thirds isn’t a hard and fast rule, it’s more of a general guideline. There are situations where you want your main subject to be dead center and that’s OK. Rules were made to be broken. But try out the Rule of Thirds next time you’re out there taking pictures. One of the main benefits of applying the Rule of Thirds when composing a shot is that it forces you to stop and THINK before releasing the shutter rather than just snapping away willy-nilly, and that will invariably made you a better photographer.