How often have you been out taking photographs when you came upon a scene that just floored you? Wow, you thought, as you pressed the shutter and took award-winning images. No effort at all.
But how many times have you been impressed with the scenery only to not be able to figure out how to capture its majesty, how to place it within the boundaries of your camera frame to come up with an image that will wow your viewers.
Sometimes we get lucky and just stumble upon the perfect picture. Other times, the final image just didn't live up to what we saw before raising the camera to our face.
How do we capture the magic of what we see? Developing an "eye" for the image takes a lot of practice and creativity. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of ways to photograph any one thing. There are different points of view; extreme close ups, wide angles or anything in between; deciding what to leave in, what to throw out. Where you put your subject in the frame can make or break a shot.
Here's where the rule of thirds comes in.
When you're composing a shot, imagine lines running from top to bottom dividing it into three equal sections and lines running from side to side also dividing it into three equal sections. The horizontal and vertical lines divide the photos into thirds, thus the rule of thirds.
Where the horizontal and vertical lines intersect (creating a grid) are the most interesting locations for the main subject of the image. This sets up a kind of tension that makes the image more interesting. You could put the subject dead center, but that's what most people do, so it tends to be boring. Put it to one side or the other in the upper or lower third and you automatically create some interest.
Same with the horizon. It should be in the top or bottom third, not dead center. Boring!
Don't forget the rest of the image. Whatever surrounds the subject should enhance the subject, not detract from it. It can include leading lines, like a fence, that leads the eye towards the subject. Diagonal lines are more interesting than horizontal or vertical.
Images can be symmetrical or asymmetrical. When an image is visually balanced from one side to the other, it is seen as calmer, more peaceful. When one side is felt as heavier, perhaps darker or larger, than the other, it is unbalanced. Some asymmetry can create tension or excitement. Too much can create an image that falls flat on its face.
A photograph can contain a large, dark element on one side that is balanced by two or three small dark elements on the other side. Or it might have a medium-sized, medium-density element on one side balanced by two larger, but lighter elements on the other. You have to use your eye to see, or feel, the balance.
Learn from fine art. Look at the work and imagine where the artist stood to see the image. Divide the image into thirds to see where the subject falls. Consider the point-of-view. Consider balance and asymmetry.
Now get out and shoot and compose with these elements in mind. You're sure to notice an immediate improvement in your images.
For more tips on making your photos look better, check out
howtophoto.net.