Photography’s Rule of Thirds

If you ever wondered what makes certain elements in a picture more exposed than the others, or, how to compose a photo in order to attract attention, then continue reading. 

The Golden Ratio and the Rule of Thirds are two fundamental rules that should always be followed when setting up your photo. Both of these rules are derived from studies on the perception of beauty in paintings. Following these rules will result in your photographs corresponding to natural human perception and better perception of beauty by our audience.

The Rule of Thirds

The rule of thirds focuses on four key elements of every artistic composition; where to place the main elements, or theme, of the photograph we want to highlight. This will give us a frame divided into 9 pieces which are usually equal with the lines orthogonal to each other.

From a composition point of view, the central area is the least attractive and is where we should place the least important elements of our composition. In theory, the fields around this central area are more attractive to human eyes. But, every rule has its exceptions, such as portrait photography where the composition is square and the main theme fills the majority of the fame.

The Golden Ratio

Although the golden ratio applies to every field of photography equally, in each field the photographer focuses on different elements. For example, in portrait photography, the eyes of a model should be located in the upper horizontal line, not necessarily in a strong focal point. But in landscape photography, since the horizontal lines designate the horizon, the horizon should be placed at 1/3 of the frame.

The golden rule is based on the Fibonacci number which approximates the golden spiral. The golden spiral applies to almost any photograph or painting, especially wide-frame photos. The spiral directs the viewer’s eyes from less to the most important point of the painting or photograph. The golden spiral can be found throughout nature, as in the photo below left. According to the golden rule, when you are setting up your photo, arrange the shot so the most substantial part of the composition is located inside the spiral as seen in the photo of the spiral stairs below.