groping in the dark

Composition: the Rule of Thirds

So far in this blog, I have focussed (heh) on photography as the control of light. Another important aspect to good photography is composition, or the art of deciding what fits inside the frame of the picture. First, you have to have a subject, i.e, whatever it is you think is worthwhile to put on film in the first place. This could be your dog, a building, a landscape or something abstract such as a repeating shape.

You could just fill your frame with the subject in the center and happily click away. Too many people do this and end up with a shoebox full of images that all look the same. This is exactly what I have: a shobox full of Christmas snapshots of family members holding up gifts and trying to look appreciative...boooring... Actually, I shouldn't say that, the Christmas photos when all lined up can be a valuable anthropological resource to the study of changing clothing and hairstyles over the years, but aesthetically, they're boring.

Instead, learn to use the Rule of Thirds. Imagine that your viewfinder is divided into a grid like a tic-tac-toe board, three vertical and three horizontal sections intersecting like so:
      

Instead of placing your subject smack in the center of the frame, try placing it slightly off center at one of the intersections. You will generally end up with a much more dynamic and interesting image. For example, here is an photo of Caleb where he has been centered in the frame. He kinda looks scary in his snowsuit doesn't he? This image is interesting if you know Caleb and can appreciate his serious demeanor and dry sense of humor, but it doesn't have much other aesthetic appeal.

Now check out the same image, full frame (on smaller monitors, you may have to adjust your window placement). You still get the personal interest emanating from Caleb, but now there is much more going on in the shot to hold your interest. Caleb's shape is balanced in the image by the barn on the right of the frame and get a sense of depth from the treeline on the hill at the top of the frame. Note too, how the line formed by the barn wall and the fence draw your eye into the image also adding a sense of depth. Now, don't get the idea that I had all these things in mind when I took the shot. It was freezing cold for one thing an and when I saw Caleb in this scene, I didn't have a lot of time to think. I just started snapping shots of with a vague idea of the Rule of Thirds and I ended up with one of my favorite images to date.

Keep in mind, the Rule of Thirds is a rule and as such it is meant to be broken. There are times when you want to center your subject. You may want to emphasize some symetry or balance in your subject, or you may want the focus to be on just the subject as in the case of a portrait or a picture of a flower. Other times you may want your subject far to one side; for example, faces that are cut off by the edge of the frame can add mystery, tension or whimsy to a photo. The key is to try to keep the shot interesting to others and not just yourself. The Rule of Thirds gives you a good starting point and a way to help you understand the decisions you make when deciding whether to follow or break the rule.