Join Natalie Fobes for an indepth discussion in this video The rule of thirds, part of The Elements of Effective Photographs. See a demonstration of the rule of thirds and its effectiveness for dynamic and visually pleasing compositions, both on screen and on a comic page. Compositional Rules Digital Photography ReviewIts not wise to violate rules until you know how to observe them T. S. Eliot, interview with The Paris ReviewIssue 2. A number of  rules of composition or guidelines exist that we can use to improve our images. The most commonly known ones have been formulated over the centuries by artists working in a variety of visual mediums, from architecture to painting and photography. And while we all know the saying, rules were meant to be broken, theres clear benefit to understanding just what it is youre breaking in the first place. In this article, well go over three of these established compositional rules, with examples that illustrate their concepts, and discuss why they are useful creative tools. Rule of Thirds. 2,606 likes 6 talking about this. The rule of thirds is a great tool for composition, whatever your subject. Perhaps the most popular technique with which visual artists are familiar is the Rule of Thirds. Simply put, the idea is that significant compositional elements be placed along imaginary lines that break the image into thirds, both horizontally and vertically. The Rule of Thirds is a term in reference to photography or videography, but what is it Check out our explainer, and when to use it. Rule Of Thirds' title='Rule Of Thirds' />Elements of particular interest can be placed at the intersection of these lines, for a more expressive and dynamic composition, as demonstrated in the pair of images below. The rule of thirds was first formalized in literature by painter John Thomas Smith in 1. However, examples of art using this type of composition can be found in artistic traditions dating back to antiquity. East Asian art is particularly well known for its use of asymmetrical compositions. So why does using the rule of thirds help to create interesting images Asymmetry. With any of the compositional techniques discussed in this article, we are are seeking to highlight certain elements in the image and create a compelling balance between elements. Creating a thirds composition often introduces asymmetry into an image which helps to create a sense of drama that can be lacking in perfectly symmetrical images. In the image below, you can see that the eyes of both the model and the horse rest along the imaginary grid. And the horses right eye is located at the intersection of two gridlines. Eyes are obviously strong compositional elements. Our gaze is naturally drawn to the eyes of others. Composition/ctutor/cmpsitn5.gif' alt='Rule Of Thirds' title='Rule Of Thirds' />Placing important elements like these whether a body part or a product for sale along the thirds grid helps to draw attention to them. Before we continue, I should point out that while there are obvious benefits to framing your image with the rule of thirds in mind, you can still reap its compositional benefits post capture by cropping. Hdd Scan 2.8 more. In fact, the fastest way to train yourself to see in thirds is to spend some time experimenting with crops of your existing images and compare both versions. Dynamic balance. In addition to being useful for determining placement of fine grained features such as a models eye, the Rule of Thirds can be used with coarse grained features that affect that overall balance of the composition. The landscape image at the beginning of the article is an example of this, where the Rule of Thirds was used to determine placement of the horizon line and major geological features. Here is another example where this rule is used to create balance in a dynamic composition. Rule_of_thirds_photo.jpg/109928543/800px-Rule_of_thirds_photo.jpg' alt='Rule Of Thirds' title='Rule Of Thirds' />In this image, the model occupies only the center and right most thirds of the image. The left most third of the image is negative space, providing a strong sense of movement through contrast and the progression of tonal values in the image. Try to visualize how the image would look if instead, the model was positioned squarely in the center of the frame. The composition would lose not only much of its drama but also its sense of motion. Click here to continue reading our Compositional Rules article. The Rule of Thirds is a theory dictating how an image should be composed in order to create an aesthetically pleasing result. In all. Although many beginning photography hobbyists resist rules one rule in particular is essential the Rule of Thirds. The Rule of Thirds goes way back and, even today. Rule of thirds is a very simple rule to grasp and can instantly turn some of those boring photos into something much more interesting and visually pleasant. Understanding the rule of thirds in design is relatively simple, but this one easy concept can make you a significantly stronger graphic designer.