Tom Clark - Digital Photography Composition For Dummies

Don't get too obsessed with the positioning of your elements on the thirds. Placement doesn't have to be exact to be effective. Cutting your frame into thirds gives you an idea of where the most visually pleasing areas are, but it doesn't create a definite rule of where to place your elements. If your subject is a little to the left or right of one of the thirds, it's still going to get the attention it deserves. Think of the rule of thirds as a guide rather than a rule.

As you gain experience, the rule of thirds becomes so embedded in your brain that you stop noticing it's there. At this point, you automatically place the key elements on the thirds of your frame.

When taking a photo, you'll most likely want to place your subject in the area of most importance. You do so by placing it at a point where two of the thirds intersect in the frame. (See the earlier section "Dividing your frame to conquer composition" for more information on these golden points.)

For those who speak English, the left side of the frame has more visual impact than the right side because English reads from left to right. So placing your subject on the left third gives it the most compositional importance for English-speaking viewers. In cultures where text reads from right to left, the inverse is true.

Because a frame includes four points of intersection among the thirds, you have options when considering where to place particular elements in your frame.

Certain elements in composition (including your subject) almost always are placed on one of the thirds because of their naturally striking visual impact. Here are some common elements that are positioned on the thirds:

The horizon line:The horizon line usually stands out in an image because it cuts straight through your frame from one side to the other. Placing it along the top third emphasizes what's in the foreground; placing it along the bottom third emphasizes the sky.

Notice, for example, the difference in the two images in Figure 5–3. In the image on the left, the horizon lies on the upper third, drawing attention to the chair in the foreground and the expansiveness of the sea. The image on the right, on the other hand, emphasizes the sky and the power of the kite because the horizon is on the bottom third.

The tops of buildings, trees, and mountains:These elements often appear along the top or bottom third in an image. You sometimes can align the horizon with the bottom third and place the top of the buildings, trees, or mountains in the top third to create a comfortable composition that accommodates both naturally strong visual elements.

Supporting elements:Your supporting elements are the things in a scene that help to tell the story of the subject. When photographing a musician, for example, including his instrument in the composition clues a viewer in to who he is. Place supporting elements on or near the thirds in order to take advantage of their descriptive qualities, but don't let them compete with your subject as the main attraction.

24mm, 1/80 sac, f/5.6, 200 135mm, 1/125 sec, f/5.6, 200

Figure 5–3:Draw attention to yourforeground by placing the horizon on the top third and to your sky by placing it on the bottom third.

The size of your subject determines where you position that subject in your frame and what you focus on when positioning it. If the subject is large in your frame, you have to determine what detail is most important and most deserving of priority placement. For example, when you photograph a person so he's large in your frame, consider placing his eyes on a third so

viewers are drawn to make eye contact when looking at the image. If the person is smaller in your frame, you can simply position his entire body on one of the thirds.

Leaving some of your golden points empty (containing no points of interest) gives more impact to the ones you do use. In Figure 5–4, for instance, the right side of the frame has more visual impact on a viewer because the left third contains no points of interest. The left side of the frame contains leading lines that walk your eyes through the frame, but they ultimately lead you back to the subject.

50mm, 1/125 sec, f/2.8,400

Figure 5–4:Keeping some of your golden points free of compositional elements helps to draw more attention to the others.

The rule of thirds is a wonderful guide for helping you get more creative with your compositions. It causes you to consider placing your subject, supporting elements, and horizon lines somewhere other than the center of your frame. However, don't think that you have to follow the rule of thirds to a T every time. If you compose images in such a formulaic way with every scenario, your photography will become predictable and possibly even boring.

Treat every scene according to its own unique circumstances. After all, certain elements change the way you compose a scene. Sometimes you can use the rule of thirds as a guide and then shift your subject (or another key element) a little to one side or the other in order to convey your message more appropriately.

The size and shape of your subject along with your intended message determine where you position the subject. Placing it closer to the center creates a more traditional and comfortable feeling. Placing it nearer the edge of your frame creates tension and suggests that you did so for a reason. Perhaps you intended to lessen the importance of the subject in comparison to the rest of the scene. You may use this composition if you were photographing a firefighter putting out a house fire. Having the firefighter toward the edge of the frame enables you to reveal the blazing house as a major part of the story.

After you find the appropriate position for your subject, also make sure that everything else in the scene has a place and fits comfortably in that place. Doing so is important to creating clear messages and images with high aesthetic quality.

Figure 5–5 shows you a composition that successfully manages many separate elements. I didn't follow the rule of thirds precisely in this figure, but I did apply the general theory.

Here's a breakdown of how I composed Figure 5–5 and why:

I positioned the subject between the center and the right thirds.I placed him on the right side because of the room's setup and the lighting. The bed takes up much of the space on the left side of my frame, and the light comes from the right, casting a shadow to the left. If I had positioned my subject nearer the left third, the shadow (which creates an interesting leading line in the composition) would be lost, and he would be uncomfortably close to the bed. I moved him slightly toward the center to keep him from merging with the edge of the door on the right side of the frame.

To avoid merging lines (see Chapter 9), I had to choose between placing my subject in front of the painting or in front of the door. I chose to block the painting with my subject so it wasn't recognizable. After all, this photo is my work of art, not the painter's.

I positioned the bed in the foreground to help lead viewers' eyes into the image.This supporting element signals that the subject is in a bedroom and gives a sense of environment. The bed's coverings also have a similar texture to the curtains in the background, and repeating (or similar) elements add interest to a composition. (Chapter 4 tells you more about using patterns and repetition.)

I placed the horizon (where the floor meets the back wall) along the bottom third.This placement helps create a comfortable space to work within. If a horizon line is too close to the center, it divides an image in