Digital Photography Tips - Composing a Photograph using the Rule Of Thirds

The first thing you need to remember about the Rule Of Thirds is - rules can be broken and this one often is. This rule best lends itself to landscape photograph where you have a horizon. Depending on what's more interesting, you should compose the picture so the horizon is placed either one third of the way down from the top of the picture or one third of the way up from the bottom, but not in the middle. Also any points of interest, usually in the foreground or mid-distance, such as trees or a person should be off centre either one third of the way to the left or right of the picture.

Many digital cameras can superimpose a grid on the screen for you to help you to compose your photographs. The grid consists of two horizontal and two vertical lines. As explained above, the idea is to keep the horizon on one of the horizontal lines and points of interest  on the vertical lines. Unless it is absolutely necessary for the kind of picture you are taking, do not place the subject smack bang in the middle of the picture.

Don't worry about breaking this rule. Get a feel for composing your photographs and if your gut instinct tells you that a photo your are about to take looks good the way you have composed it, and it breaks the Rule Of Thirds rules, then you should take it.