The rule of thirds is a way of producing an aesthetic photo by picturing imaginary lines in your photos. The purpose of the rule of thirds is to draw people into your photos and keep them there for as long as possible. The rule of thirds is made up of two horizontal lines and two vertical lines. The intersections of the lines create focal points. You can use the rule of thirds by putting the subject of your photo at a focal point. Or you can use the rule of thirds to create balance by lining up the horizontal lines with the horizon in your photo. The rule of thirds is an easy way to create proportional photos. Most cameras have a setting that allows you to layer a grid over the photo like the one shown below.
In this post I am going to present twelve examples of how you can use the rule of thirds when taking pictures.
The two pictures above are a subtle way of showing the rule of thirds. I used the rule of thirds in the left photo by lining up the ends of the bus seats with the vertical lines. I also lined the top of the windshield up with the top horizontal line. The photo on the right uses the rule of thirds in a similar way. I made the doorway perfectly line up with the center box of the imaginary third lines.
Both of these photos are using the rule of thirds. They both have the subject standing directly on the right, vertical line. Although they are very different looking photos, they are using the same concept in order to directly the viewers attention to the subject.
This photo is a little different from the other ones. It is an up close shot of someones eye. The rule of thirds is used because the bottom right intersection is exactly matched up with the subjects pupil. This causes the viewer to focus on the subjects eyes rather than the rest of her face or the background.
All three of these images are using the rule of thirds in the same way. In all three photos I lined up the bottom horizontal line with where the land meets the blue sky. I made the sky be three thirds of each photo.
This photo shows the rule of thirds in two ways. The first way is that the horizon is lined up with the bottom horizontal line. The second way is that the car going up the hill to the left is directly on the bottom left focal point.
Both of these photos show the rule of thirds in different ways. The one to the left shows the rule of thirds because of the light pole. The pole perfectly lines up with the right vertical line. While the photo on the right shows the rule of thirds by the seem between the hood and the bumper of the car. The seem is perfectly aligned with the top horizontal line. The BMW emblem is also in the center of the center box in the imaginary grid created by the rule of thirds.
Lastly, this is my favorite photo I’ve taken using the rule of thirds so far. The main rose shown in the photo is directly on the top left focal point. You can see how the viewers eyes go right to the beautiful colored rose before scanning the background of the photo. I love this picture because of the focus on the roses and the blur effect created on the less important parts of the picture. I chose this picture as my featured photo, because I think it shows the rule of thirds in a complete and beautiful way.