Rule of thirds

The rule of thirds (also two -thirds rule ) is a design rule in photography, which inspired by the theory of proportions of the golden section.

Application

In the third rule, the image is mentally cut into nine parts. You draw two horizontal and two vertical lines, so that all nine parts are equal. The subject to be photographed is applied to one of the four intersection points, one can also place along a line. On the sample image can be seen that the horizon along the lower horizontal line runs, and that the center of the tree is at the lower right point of intersection. The brightest point of the sunset is still close enough to the lower left intersection, to also benefit from the rule.

The sharpness setting aids multiple cameras are placed in the center of the viewfinder, so intuitive and very often the main subject in the center is placed. As such photos often seem less harmonious, boring and static, the rule of thirds is used as a simple tool to prevent this. Here the focus should first set to the main subject and the camera will still move slightly before the shutter is released. As with all design rules in photography the application of the rule of thirds is always the motive and intent of the design is dependent; Rules to deliberately break, can lead to better images.

Relationship to the golden ratio

After the rule of the golden section proportions of the subject should divide the overall picture in the golden section or the distance of the subject from the edge of the image to the image length in the ratio 1: stand Φ ≈ 0.618. However, since exact placement is complex, one uses instead a rough but easy to use approximation ⅔: 1 = 2:3 ≈ 0.667.

Relationship to the diagonal method

The Dutch photographer Edwin Westhoff came through visual experiments to the view that the rule of thirds is imprecise. He examined specifically photographs, paintings and engravings, and could show that the strong points lie on the diagonal line of a square. Since a picture is often present as a rectangle with dimensions of 4:3 or 3:2, he touted the focus on the four corners of the bisector and thus developed the diagonal method as an alternative to the composition rule of thirds.