Have you ever taken a photo, and, after you are back at the ranch on the computer looking at your images, you realize that the image you took did not convey the thought or the idea you had while shooting the subject? So you might have this conversation with yourself, “Bummer, what did I do wrong? Why doesn’t it look the same as it did when I clicked the shutter?”
The “Rule of Thirds” is one of the first things that photographers and designers learn in workshops and classes on photography. It is a design concept that helps to make an image interesting and balanced visually. Basically, you break your image into thirds from top to bottom and from left to right.
You don’t have to have an acetate overlay on the LCD of your camera. You just have to do it visually in your mind as you frame the image in your camera. The idea is that you have 4 points of interest where the lines intersect, and 4 lines that designate areas of interest in the image. This makes it more enjoyable and balanced for the viewer. The viewer is also more comfortable in viewing your “well balanced image.”
Now after saying that…….I believe that most rules are made to be broken, but if you are going to break them, you should understand them at first, then break them if you must. If you are going to ignore this rule, at least understand the reasoning behind it before you throw caution to the wind. It really does make an image more balanced, especially if the shots are going in a magazine or brochure.
The 2 shots I have included were shot for a client that designed western jewelry. I usually try to make the image balanced, and this is almost always done with the “Rule of Thirds” in the front of my thought process. As I said before, don’t be afraid to break this rule, but always keep it in mind as you frame your shots and plan for the way it will be used.