Friday Photography Tips #4 - Rule of Thirds

The Wild Atlantic Way - Thomas David Kavanagh

Three is the magic number, or so the song goes - but it works for me. Every story has a beginning, middle and end. Each play or film is written in three acts. For over 16 years in Learning & Development I have started writing courses and workshops by asking "what three things do I want people to take away from this?".

The Rule of Thirds is another example where the magic number comes into play. Effectively, this rule suggests that you see your scene split into a 3x3 grid (nine boxes) and that you compose subjects or point of interest along the lines or where two lines intersect. This generally makes for a more interesting image than simply putting your subject in the middle of the frame and shooting, as you can see from the example below.

This image is of the incredibly talented Donal O'Connor, playing at the recent Birmingham TradFest. While it is not necessary to have something of interest at each of the intersecting points; this photograph manages to include both hands, the subject's eye and the bow. This was not easily achieved and is the result of patience, multiple shots some editing.

1. Compose In-Camera

Cameras that allow you to compose your shot using an electronic screen or viewfinder, will usually allow you to apply a visual grid to help you compose your image. Go to the settings on your smartphone camera and try turning the grid on. The lines are thin enough to ignore if you're not using the rule, but they're an invaluable asset when they're there. I have always found it useful to have a straight line that I can compare my horizon to, making sure that my image is level.

For DSLR users: focus points in the camera are often set near to points of intersection. Try find the focus point that is closest and use an editing application to check or recompose. If your DSLR has a live-view mode (i.e. you can use the LCD screen on the back to compose photos), then you may be able to apply a grid here.

For portraiture I usually start my compositions by placing a subject along a vertical line, with one of their eyes on or close to a point of intersection. I'll move around to find the composition that I like and look for other points of interest. The process is the same whether the camera is in landscape or portrait orientation.

2. Cropping

Most editing applications will apply the same 3x3 grid discussed when an image is being cropped (resized). This allows you the freedom to photograph a scene as wide as possible and then reframe it when you edit. Just be mindful that you are the number of pixels in the image, so cropping too much might lead to a lower quality image.

For Landscape photography, the crop tool usually includes the ability to angle the crop, effectively rotating it, so you can correct the horizon if your image is not level. The image of the Poolbeg Chimney's below is a familiar site to those that have sailed into Dublin Port. Here the image has been cropped (you can see part of the image greyed-out to the left) so that the horizon is along the bottom horizontal line and the nearest chimney is aligned with the right vertical line. The image has also been rotated by 17 degrees to straighten the horizon.

Exposure compensation is a great way of taking more creative shots without having to worry about all of the technical settings of your camera. The shot below is of O'Brien's Tower next to the Cliffs of Moher, Ireland. The scene has been intentionally underexposed in order to darken the bright daylight sky and get more detail from the clouds, the result also captures figures walking around the tower in silhouette.

3. Break the Rule

Of course all the best rules are meant to be broken and this one is no exception. I would recommend the Rule of Thirds as a starting method when you look at a scene. See if you can get something interesting along the lines or intersections and if doesn't sing to you try something else.

There are some reasons why you should shoot a subject in the centre of the frame; for one, it's where the focus on your camera will be most accurate. My favourite reason for putting a subject in the centre of the frame is symmetry. There is something very pleasing about a 'balanced' image. If you've ever watched a Wes Anderson film you'll know what I mean.