One of the most important ideas I have found in photography is that if you follow the basics and have a good foundation you can take some great photos. And - One of the best basic features to learn is “Rule of Thirds” which dates back to the ancient greeks.

I came up with this topic as a friend who just purchased a new digital camera asked me what this grid was superimposed on his LCD Screen. He had no idea what this was there for and what even rule of thirds even is.

So, here it is in a nutshell: RULE OF THIRDS: is is a compositional rule of thumb in photography and art. The rule states that an image can be divide into nice equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two more equally-spaced vertical lines. The four points formed by the intersecting lines can be used to align subjects in the photograph. Using these points will create energy and interest instead of just centering the subject.

Here is a Rule of Thirds Grid

Below are two photos of the same subject I took one with the subject centered and the other using rule of thirds. Notice how the photo using rule of thirds gives more feeling then the one with the subject just centered.

This photo I didn’t use rule of thirds and the photo is just that a photo of a woman reading a magazine at the train station. No pop. Just a photo.

On the other hand here is the same photo following the rule of thirds. It adds feeling to the photo.

But the biggest rule of all - HAVE FUN - and don’t forget Rules are meant to be broken. You don’t always have to follow the rule of thirds it is only meant to be a suggestion for composition of the photography not a hard fast must do.

Some additional links to learn even more about the rules of thirds:
Michael Fodor: Photo School: Rule of Thirds - Great Motorcycle Examples
Digital Photography 101: Lesson 4 — The Rule of Thirds
Camera Hobby: Rule of Thirds Chapter

Tags: Photography, Technique, DIY, Photo, Rule, Photos, Art+and+Photography, Travel, Hobbies