Ask any professional photographer what is the best tip for a beginner, they might reply “follow the rule of thirds”. If you are not sure what it is, Rule of Thirds is one of the most popular rules for amateur photographers to enhance their photography skills. For example, they tend to focus the subject right in the middle of the frame. They would always instruct their object to change the position so that they can be right in the center of their viewfinder or otherwise they would change their camera position accordingly.
Now I know the reason behind it is pretty simple. When someone looks in a photograph, their focal point is the center of the photo. Right? Well, not as per what research says. And that is why knowing how to apply the rule of thirds into a photograph is extremely helpful for a beginner to capture an interesting photo.
What is the Rule of Thirds?
Rule of Thirds is a way to divide a particular scene into nine parts and create the points of interest which make the photo better and brighter.
Suppose you are traveling in Bali, and you want to capture the rising sun in between the sea. You may want to put the sun right in the middle of the frame, which would be surrounded by sea. The photograph would only include the sun and the sea and although the scene might be mesmerizing for you in real life, your photograph will look dull and uninteresting.
That is because, in Landscape Photography, Rule of Thirds is very necessary to capture all the details of a scene. Now how can you take the same photo applying the Rule of Thirds?
• Firstly frame your shot in nine rectangle portions that create four intersection points in your viewfinder.
• Now try to capture the sun on the left sides, top intersect point. And try to place other interesting objects of the surroundings at the other intersection points.
• Once you made the whole plan in your mind, click the image.
Now compare this one with the first one. Where in the first image the sun was in the middle and there was nothing interesting in the intersecting points, in the second image the sun itself is the biggest point of interest. And because it is on the left side, you can capture the mountain in the right intersecting point, and the red sky and hopefully spindrfit will give you a much more detailed and interesting shot.
Why follow the Rule of Thirds?
Applying Rule of Thirds in your photography makes the images more interesting for the viewers. As per studies people usually focus on the intersecting points than the center or middle of the photo. That is why these are termed as ‘points of interest’.
Even during food photography applying the Rule of Thirds make the image look much better. Put the soup in the middle and eggs and sandwiches in the intersecting points. That would not only look interesting but also delicious!
Can you apply the Rule of Thirds in Mobile Photography?
As long as you have a good camera and excitement to capture photos, it doesn’t matter whether you are using a DSLR or just doing mobile photography. While capturing a shot just create the frames in mind (if your mobile camera doesn’t enable creating the rule of thirds frames) and place the points of interest in the right parts.
There are many photography applications that provide the frames that you don’t get in the pre-installed camera apps. And you can use it to improve your photography skills. Just use the mobile as your viewfinder to capture the perfect shot.
Rules of Thirds is the first lesson of every photography class because it gives a natural tone to your photos and makes it look more interesting. Professional photographers aren't always trying to capture photos with this rule as they are experienced and knows how to provide the interesting impact in their photos. But if you are new to the photography world, Rule of Thirds can really help you to get going.
