Capturing Alaska

with Wayde Carroll

 

 

 

Photo Improvement Tip: Rule of Thirds

 

  I wanted to share a fairly simple and extremely effective technique, the “Rule of Thirds”. This “rule” is the basis for well-balanced and dynamic images and is used by visual artists of every discipline. Weather you are a painter, cartoonist, cinematographer, or still photographer, this technique can help you immediately take more interesting and memorable photos.

 

   What all of us are trying to do is create images that convey the same sense of joy, awe, or wonder, we felt when we were making them. My hope is that this tip will help you to think twice about placing the subject(s) of your photos in the exact center of your frame every time! This typically results in static and, ultimately, disappointing images.

 

  Here’s how it works. Take a look at the viewing screen on the back of your camera. Now imagine two equally spaced vertical lines dividing the screen into thirds. Do the same with two equally spaced horizontal lines. What you end up with is a grid that looks like this:

 

 

 

   Placing your subject(s) along, or even close to, these lines and intersections creates more tension, energy, and interest. (This is particularly true at the intersecting points.) That, in turn, holds the attention of your viewers longer.

 

 That’s it! Easy isn’t it.

 

   Of course every rule can be, and should be broken from time to time, but I think it’s important to know, and practice, the rules before doing so! This tool is useful for all subject matter. I’ve included samples of wildlife, people, architecture, and landscapes.

 

Landscapes

 

 

 

 

 

 

    By placing the horizon line on either the top third or bottom third of your image it typically becomes more interesting. Any key elements composed at the intersections make the photo that much stronger.

 

 

Wildlife

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  The hummingbird and the flowers are near intersecting points on the grid making this image much more dynamic than simply a bird centered in the middle.

 

 

 

Architecture

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Though the horizon line is centered here, the interest grabbing elements of the volcano and the front corner of the swimming pool are along our grid lines and make the image work.

 

 

People

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Lining the body close to the vertical line and having the eyes along the horizontal line make this a compelling portrait. The person’s face is at an intersecting point and makes for a strong subject with room to show his environment.

 

Note 1: When photographing people or animals, it works best if your subject is placed on the side opposite of the direction they are looking. If your subject is looking towards the right you want to place him/her on the left third. You want to get an idea as to where your subject is looking as opposed to having the person looking out of the nearside edge.

 

Note 2: For cultures that read from left to right, images feel stronger with the main subject on the left third. It’s the opposite for those that read right to left.

 

  This all sounds simple enough to do but most cameras today are auto focus and can be tricky. This is wonderful technology but how do you place your object of focus at one of our grid lines or intersections if the camera focuses from the center?

 

  Here are a few pointers to help:

 

1)    With most camera models you can hold your shutter button half-way down to lock your focus. As long as your finger is holding down the button half-way, your focus distance will not change. So if you want to place a person on the left third of your image, simply point your camera at your subject, push the shutter half-way down to lock the focus, keep the button pushed half-way down and re-compose your photo. Once you’re happy with your composition, finish pressing the shutter all the way down until you’ve taken your image! It’s a lot faster than it sounds and comes easily after a bit of practice.

2)    Some models now let you select one of several focusing points on your screen. You might see several dots or rectangles in a grid either on the screen view or in your viewfinder. If you have this option, take a look at your manual and figure out how to change your focus point. With a bit of practice you can easily switch your focus selection point to one of several choices. This comes in handy if you know you’re going to be taking a lot of photos with the same composition. For instance, if you’re taking photos of a monkey in Costa Rica and you want it on the left side of your composition, and you want to take a lot of photos quickly, it’s great to just change your focusing point to the left of your screen instead of having to focus and recompose for each shot and possibly miss a great shot!

Just be sure to change your focus point back when you’re done with that scenario.

3)    More advanced lenses allow you to manual focus by way of turning a ring around the outside of the lens. This is very useful in low-light situations when some cameras have trouble focusing. Put your lens on “M” for manual or else the camera will continue to focus for you.

 

 

  I hope you find the “Rule of Thirds” a helpful way to start bringing home more memorable images!