The photographic frame should be divided into nine equal sectors with two horizontal and two vertical lines. The most important compositional element(s) of the photo should be located at an intercept.
For the beginning photographer, that is a pretty technical definition. To put it in simpler terms, before you take your photo, you want to draw an imaginary "tic-tac-toe board" over your image. Then, you want to put the most important part of your subject on one of places where the lines intersect.
I don't know about you but I'm a visual learner. So here is an illustration:
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| © Nic Neufeld/Photo Basics |
This photo of a horse and its driver at a political rally is an example of the use of the rule of thirds. The horse's face is under an intercept (two, in fact) and its driver (though out of focus) is on another.
Fortunately for me, my camera's viewfinder can optionally display a grid over the image.
This seems to be catching on even for a lot of point-and-shoot cameras. However, if yours doesn't, don't worry. As you can see from the example, putting things exactly on an intercept isn't the point. The point is to offset your subject.
So here's what to take away from today's post: Don't frame your subject in the center. Knowing how and when to move your subject over will produce photos that will better direct your audience's eye; making the photo more interesting.
Go try it.
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