rule-of-thirds explained

I took a photography class in high school. I loved the photo field trips and developing prints in the darkroom (this was still the pre-digital era). I had always been a lover of photos, but really didn’t care about the mechanics behind photography. Like most high school kids, I thought it would be a fun elective and all my friends had signed up too. In 2008 when I got the first hair-brained inkling that I may want to try my hand at professional photography I suddenly realized that everything I thought I’d learned in Mrs. Frost’s photography class was GONE. Along with pre-calculus, I had, um, kind of forgotten everything I learned in high school. I had to reteach myself what even the most basic photography terms like “depth of field” and “aperture” and “shutter speed” meant. If you had offered me $1000 to explain what “metering” or “white balance” or ”rule of thirds” was, I would have surely gone home empty handed. 

The rule of thirds is actually one of the most basic principles of photography. If you are a photographer, this may induce eye rolling and snoring. But I remember a time when THIS photographer didn’t know the concept from Adam. It’s funny — looking back at my pre-2008 photos I can see the applied rule. I just didn’t know it was there. But alas, I researched, I learned, I practiced, I improved, and now I’m here to share it with all of you. Putting a name on it and studying it as a technique changed the way I photograph. Understanding what makes an image visually interesting will change everything for you too. I promise. 

Ok… here we go. Imagine if you broke a photograph into three equal sections both horizontally and vertically, making nine equal parts. When we “read” a photo, our eyes are naturally drawn off-center to where these lines intersect. If you place a point of interest (like an eye or face) at these points, you can control where the viewer’s eye begins and how they read your photo. Confused yet? Yeah, I once was too. Let’s use our lovely model Jill as an example. When you first glance at this photo, what do you see?

Because her right eye is directly on an intersection, I’m naturally drawn there first. Then to her left eye and then across to Nathan. See what I mean? 

Here are some examples from Heather and Rich’s wedding that I shot with Wynter Photography back in the fall. Notice how the focal point (like an eye or face) of each image falls on/near one of the four intersections. Of course you could crop your image to be more precise, but it’s not an exact science. There are other elements to consider, like the top of a head or a bouquet.

See how the horizontal lines run across the line of the rooftop and the foundation of the house? The whole dynamic of the image would change if the image was framed an inch or so higher.

So if you’ve made it this far, you might be starting to wonder how the rule of thirds applies to the photos that you take. My favorite images are those that fill the frame with that precious face and focus in on one main element. Compose your photos slightly off-center and imagine those intersecting lines. I promise you can take your own kids photos to the next level. And here’s a HINT: many cameras have a display setting that will turn on the thirds grid for you. (Time to break out that manual!)

As they say, all rules are made to be broken. This image of Rosston is one of my favorites. Even though he is dead center, the bands of color fall right along the horizontal thirds and the symmetry is spot on. That, and he is completely handsome and smart and charming and I love him.

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