Rule of thirds

The rule of thirds is a composition technique that has been fairly popularized over the years, and for good reason. Even before you were interested in photography, you've probably heard about the rule of thirds.

It's one of those things that you just hear about even though you may not be into that subject - such as the Theory of Relativity. I have no idea what the Theory of Relativity is, but I've heard of it! The Rule of Thirds is kind of like that - well, not that complex, but you get the point...

What is the rule of thirds?

The Rule of Thirds is a compositional technique created by dividing an image or composition into nine equal sections by having two lines of equal distance running vertically and horizontally.

For the sake of this article, I will be relating the Rule of Thirds mainly to images and photographs since I am a photographer. But as we'll see later, the Rule of Thirds can be used in many niches of art, such as graphic design, film, and photography.

There are many award-winning photographs that do not follow the Rule of Thirds. But only once you have a deep understanding of the Rule of Thirds can you break the "rule."

Here's an example of using the Rule of Thirds. In this photo, my main focal point was the setting sun, so I placed it on the bottom-left intersection:

When do we use the rule of thirds?

We use the Rule of Thirds composition technique when we have a main subject/focal point that we want to emphasize to the viewer. Once you divide the composition into nine equal sections, the goal is to place your main focal point or subject on one of these intersecting lines.

When composing an image with the Rule of Thirds, you will notice that there are four intersection points. Going clockwise, they are top-right, bottom-right, bottom-left, and top-left. By placing your main focal point at one of these intersections, it is said that the person viewing your image will be quickly drawn to this point. Making for a more aesthetically pleasing and compelling image.

Also, if you have a horizon in the photo, it's often recommended to place it at one of the horizontal lines (I prefer the bottom horizontal line).

When do we not use the rule of thirds?

Put simply, as a photographer or artist, you can choose not to use the Rule of Thirds whenever you want! As mentioned, it's not a "hard rule" but rather a creative suggestion. The Rule of Thirds is just one composition technique out of many that you can use.

But why do we even use the Rule of Thirds in the first place? Is it just random, or is it backed by something? Let's take a look.

Why do we use the rule of thirds?

As mentioned, the Rule of Thirds is used in photography and art to create more aesthetically pleasing images. But is there any basis backing this claim?

Is there any scientific basis for using the rule of thirds?

There is no scientific backing for the Rule of Thirds. Many photographers and artists claim that the Rule of Thirds is actually just a simplification of the Golden Ratio.

Golden ratio vs the rule of thirds

The Golden Ratio is a mathematical ratio that is based on dividing numbers from the Fibonacci Sequence by their preceding number. The Golden Ratio created is then 1.618:1.

To spare the mathematical details and numbers, the Golden Ratio essentially creates a spiral. Placing an element or focal point on the converging point will create a harmonious and pleasing composition. But if you take a close look at this converging point, it's also in the same exact spot as an intersecting point on the rule of thirds.

In reality, if you take a photo using the Rule of Thirds, it can be easy for one to say later that it also follows the composition of a Golden Ratio.

Here's an example of a portrait I took. The main focal point I wanted in this image was to be the subject's eye. In the first photo, you can see that it follows the Golden Ratio. In the second photo, you can see that it also lies at an intersection point on the Rule of Thirds:

Is there any psychological basis for using the rule of thirds?

There is no direct psychological basis behind why the Rule of Thirds creates visually appealing images. There are, however, some indirect associations.

Humans love patterns

The first is that we, as humans (and even robots, for that matter), love patterns. Guess what the Rule of Thirds does; it creates a pattern. It breaks the composition into nine perfectly spaced squares, creating a pattern of squares.

Humans love simplicity

The second is that we love simplicity. Our minds are like computers... or are computers like our minds? Nevertheless, our mind likes to save resources for big processes or systems that we have to face in our daily lives. Such as things that are new to us, like learning new information or performing a new task.

For example, have you ever been driving and noticed that you kind of "blanked out" while driving but still ended up at your destination safely? Well, if you've been driving for a while, your body and mind are used to driving, so it's sort of like a "low-level process" going on in your mind.

On the other hand, has your head hurt from a long day of learning new information or taking a really hard test? Yeah, our brain doesn't like that.

My point is that our brains like simplicity because it doesn't have to work that hard to process what we're doing or looking at. With all that being said, the Rule of Thirds works because it follows a pattern. By creating a composition that correctly follows the Rule of Thirds, then it creates a photo that is powerful yet simple.

Now that we've covered some foundational knowledge about the Rule of Thirds, let's discuss some tips for using it.

How to use the rule of thirds?

Using the Rule of Thirds on a photo shoot is not as easy as approaching the scene and capturing the Rule of Thirds perfectly. A little planning and mental preparation are necessary to ensure a successful image that follows the Rule of Thirds.

I've provided five steps you should take when approaching a scene or client session with the Rule of Thirds in mind.

1. Decide what type of photo you want to take

The first step in using the Rule of Thirds in photography is to know what type of photo you want to take. What I mean by this is, do you want to take a street photograph, a portrait photograph, an event photograph, a product photograph, etc?

For example, in street photography or wedding photography, you may be dealing with fast-moving subjects and scenes. It might be more difficult to set up a Rule of Thirds composition.

In product photography, there may be different focal points that you need to highlight on the product. Which one do you emphasize? In portrait photography, you might be photographing a couple. Do you place them both on an intersection line in the Rule of Thirds?

2. Know if your photo will be suitable for the rule of thirds

The second step is to determine whether your photo is suitable for a Rule of Thirds composition. As we'll touch on later, not every photo you take must follow the Rule of Thirds composition.

In general, you should only consider using the Rule of Thirds when you have one subject or focal point you want to emphasize. Consider this scenario - you have a mid-distance image of a group of five friends. Which one do you place on an intersecting line?

The answer is technically anyone, but the question you should instead be asking yourself is, what is my main subject or focal point? The answer to this question should be all of them because it's a group photo. Everyone in the photo should have equal importance.

Don't think about the Rule of Thirds as your composition technique for this image. Instead, think about using Triangles, Patterns, or Parallel Lines. Now, let's say you have a group of five friends standing on top of a mountain, and you are photographing them from a distance.

If you photograph this group of friends from a distance, they could serve as a single focal point/subject. In this case, you could use the Rule of Thirds.

So, the main takeaway, the Rule of Thirds works best and should only be considered when there is one main subject or focal point you want to emphasize to the viewer.

3. Know what you focal point/subject will be

The third step is to know what your focal point or subject will be. I've already touched on this a bit in the last step, but I'll elaborate further.

Before you enter the scene, you should know what your different focal points or subjects could be. Have an idea in your head of which one you want to be your main focal point. For example, it could be a tree on a mountain, the sun, your subject walking, or a lake right next to the mountain.

One could argue that they could all be "subjects" in the photo. But you should only have one main subject, and the others should be supporting subjects. The main subject you decide on should be placed on one of the intersecting lines on the Rule of Thirds.

In this photo I framed it so my subject would be on the top-right intersection line of the rule of thirds:

4. Research the scene beforehand

The fourth step after knowing what your main subject will be is to research the scene beforehand as much as possible.

Visualization plays a huge role in sports psychology and other high-performing activities. I've also found that it plays a huge role in approaching a photography session.

A big part of this visualization lies in knowing what will be in the scene. This way, you can plan and prepare to use certain elements in the scene as potential supporting subjects/objects for your main subject.

For example, if you're planning to have a portrait session on the beach, will it have cliffs, rocks, sand patterns, a crowd, or a pier? All these elements could act as a supporting object for the main subject to either stand on, interact with, or to act a counter-balance.

You don't need to memorize every detail about the location, but you should know at least 75% of what's going to be there. Easy ways to do this beforehand are to look at pictures of the setting online or use Google Maps to look at the location.

5. Edit for the rule of thirds in post-production

The fifth and final step for using the Rule of Thirds in photography is to edit the photo in post-production. There are times when composing a photo for the Rule of Thirds just can't be perfect, no matter how hard you try.

This is fairly common, so, if you can't get a perfectly aligned Rule of Thirds composition straight out of the camera, you are not alone. When this is the case, you will want to crop and align the photo for a Rule of Thirds composition using your favorite post-production software. Mine is Adobe Lightroom.

To do this, it's very easy. Use the crop tool, and you will usually crop out one side or zoom in on a photo to place your main subject on an intersecting line. Here's an example of a photo of a man looking out into the horizon.

For example, here was the crop I had for this photo before I updated the crop to better fit a rule of thirds composition:

Where did the rule of thirds come from?

The Rule of Thirds can be traced back to the late 18th century, when an individual named John Thomas Smith was involved. In his book Remarks on Rural Scenery, he comments on another artist's work named Sir Joshua Reynolds, quoting:

"Unequal parts and gradations lead the attention easily from part to part, while parts of equal appearance hold it awkwardly suspended...Analogous to this "Rule of thirds", (if I may be allowed so to call it) I have presumed to think that, in connecting or in breaking the various lines of a picture, it would likewise be a good rule to do it, in general, by a similar scheme of proportion; for example, in a design of landscape, to determine the sky at about two-thirds; or else at about one-third, so that the material objects might occupy the other two."

As you might have noticed, this first quote was actually a reference to painting. As we've discussed, the Rule of Thirds applies to all forms of art, and we'll discuss it further in the next section.

Can we use the rule of thirds in every form of art?

Yes, definitely! The Rule of Thirds can be used in every form of visual art, from painting, drawing, graphic design, filmmaking, and photography. As we've seen in our previous section, the Rule of Thirds was originally used when describing a painting!

Can we use the rule of thirds in every photo?

As a photographer, you can use the Rule of Thirds in every photo if you wish, but it's not necessary to compose a great-looking image. The Rule of Thirds is one of many composition techniques.

How important is it for photographers to follow the rule of thirds?

How important is it for a photographer to follow the Rule of Thirds, and when should a photographer break it? It's important for a photographer to know when to break the Rule of Thirds and when to use it.

The Rule of Thirds is just one composition technique of many, so what would be considered breaking the rule? Well, "breaking the rule" would occur when you just choose not to follow the Rule of Thirds composition technique.

In this case, would you be considered breaking the rule, or are you just trying to use another photography composition technique? In certain cases, breaking or ignoring the Rule of Thirds can help create more interesting images.

When you're shooting a portrait, for example, placing the subject off-center can be used to add tension or interest. Or framing them between two objects may look better:

Generally, it's best to use the Rule of Thirds when you can and break it when necessary. Or when you want to use another composition rule/technique. Experimenting with composition is important for any photographer in order to find an aesthetic that fits their work.

Examples of films using the rule of thirds

When it comes to cinema, unless you know of the Rule of Thirds, you may not notice that films use it all the time! Here are a few examples of movie scenes that use the Rule of Thirds.

The first scene is from the Joker (2019):

Here's another classic example from this famous scene on the Titanic:

Lastly, here's an example of the movie Secret Life of Walter Mitty employing the Rule of Thirds in this scene:

In conclusion, the Rule of Thirds is one of many composition techniques that you can use. Although it has the word "rule" in the name, it's more of a creative suggestion.

The Rule of Thirds is one of my favorite composition techniques, along with Framing, Simplicity, and Balance. Once you start using the Rule of Thirds as a photographer, you'll see it in many popular photos and movies. So go out there and start using the Rule of Thirds. Once you get a firm grasp of this technique, don't be afraid to break the rule and use other composition techniques!