One of the fastest ways to take better photos is to understand the Rule of Thirds. It’s a basic technique of lining up objects on the “canvas” makes photos more appealing.
Have you noticed that some photos are just better than others?
Let’s dive right into it.
What is the Rule of Thirds?
When you look through a camera lens or even your phone screen to take a picture, there’s an easy way to break the screen into nine equal parts.
Let’s take a look at this first photo. I’ve added the Rule of Thirds guides for you to see.
Many people take photos and naturally place the subject in the middle of the shot. It makes the photo ok, but it doesn’t stand out as amazing. Something seems off.
The Rule of Thirds states that placing the subject at one of the cross sections makes the photo more attractive to the eye. This creates anticipation for what the subject is doing.
Let’s look at the first version with the Rule of Thirds in place.
By placing the subject at the crosshairs, we get a larger view of where the subject is looking. It does more than that. Our eyes naturally look for those crosshairs in any photo. By placing the subject there, there’s no doubt about what the photo is supposed to be about.
Let’s take a look at one more example from this photo.
This time, the subject is higher in the photo. They’re still the photo’s focus, but it gives us a better sense of the subject’s surroundings. The first adjusted photo gave us more interest in the sky that the subject was looking at.
Your Turn
The next time you are in a position to take some photos, practice placing your subject at one of these crosshairs instead. See if you like your photos better.
Even if you’re using a phone, there is a setting where you can put up the Rule of Thirds on your screen. This makes it easier to place your subject.
After a while, you won’t even need the grid. You’ll become accustomed to placing the subject of your photo in the correct location.
One More Thing
Even if you are taking a close-up shot of someone’s face, you can still use the rule of thirds and place what you want people to focus on first. Is it the eye, the nose, the lips, the ear?
Here is a series of photos with a different focal point. The first shot is the original photo. Each one tells a different story.
Try it and share your results in the comments.
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