The most powerful way to use the rule of thirds is by placing the subject or the key element of interest exactly on one of the intersections of the gridlines [1]. This technique effectively draws the viewer's eye and adds visual tension and energy to the composition, making it more dynamic than simply centering the subject [1].
Mentally divide your image into thirds, both horizontally and vertically, and place your subject accordingly. That is, simply imagine that your image is divided into thirds, both horizontally and vertically, and then place your subject on one of the lines or at the intersection of those lines.
If you place the elements of your photo two thirds to the right or left it again generally becomes more pleasing to the eye. If shooting vertically, try placing your horizon two thirds of the way up or down.
It's called the rule of thirds, but you can think of it as giving you four crosshairs with which to target a shot's important elements. This will help you to balance your main subject with negative space in your shot to nail an effective photographic composition that will draw the viewer's eye.
Try It This Week. If you want to get better at using the rule of thirds, here's a simple exercise I set for my students: Spend an hour photographing everyday subjects—your morning coffee, your dog, your walk to the shop. For each subject, take one photo following the rule of thirds and one breaking it.
The 20/60/20 rule in photography, popularized by wildlife photographer Paul Nicklen, is a time/effort strategy: spend the first 20% of your time getting safe, technically sound shots; the next 60% pushing creativity with angles and light; and the final 20% taking big risks for "once-in-a-lifetime" magical shots, accepting many will fail but crucial for growth. It's a framework to balance basics with innovation, ensuring you get publishable images while also developing a unique artistic style.
“When you're chasing a big goal, you're supposed to feel good a third of the time, okay a third of the time, and crappy a third of the time…and if the ratio is roughly in that range, then you're doing fine.”
Psychology Behind the Rule
The Rule of thirds is psychologically appealing because it aligns with how humans naturally view images. Our eyes are drawn to intersection points rather than the centre of a frame, making images that adhere to this rule more natural and engaging.
The rule of thirds is an effective way to frame the elements in your scene so that the resulting image is much more visually captivating. Like most other filmmaking “rules,” it's not really a rule at all — more of a golden guideline.
Summary: The Golden Ratio is special because it perfectly balances addition and multiplication. The Golden Ratio (1.618...) is often presented with an air of mysticism as "the perfect proportion".
It's challenging to unpack the ways this twisted the history: the “famous 'rule of thirds' which advises that for the most pleasing composition, the picture area should be divided into ⅓ and ⅔ sections” was oddly closer to the original original use of the term, from the painter John Thomas Smith in 1797; that was not ...
Both aspect ratios are used for printing. However, large and landscape images are printed in 16:9. They are good for group photos, landscape photography, etc. 4:3 is generally used for square prints, mostly when you have portrait images.
The rule of thirds is a powerful, well-established, and tried-and-tested visual design tool—and principle—where you apply a 3x3 grid with nine equal spaces within it and align subject material along the appropriate intersection lines or at intersecting points and sweet spots.
Placing your subject or horizon in the centre of the image is the most obvious alternative to the Rule of Thirds, and works well for many subjects. A prominent horizontal line in the dead-centre of an image perfectly bisects it and gives equal weight to the two halves of the image.
Branching out from five central subject areas, the five Cs -- camera angles, continuity, cutting, close-ups, composition -- Mascelli offers film makers a detailed and practical course in visual thinking.
Another reason for using this technique is because it allows you to balance a photo perfectly. The spaces between each line have been said to create an invisible weight that produces a well-balanced image that looks and feels right to the viewer. Lastly, the Rule of Thirds allows for visual creativity and imagination.
Using the rule of thirds will generally (but not always) result in better compositions. This rule works for designing ads, creating PowerPoints, taking photographs, and more. The rule of thirds is really more of a suggestion or guiding principle rather than a hard rule that you should always follow.
“When we hear or read a list of three things, it's easier for our brains to process and remember them.
The expression "rule of thirds" was first written down by John Thomas Smith in 1797. In his book Remarks on Rural Scenery, Smith quotes a 1783 work by Sir Joshua Reynolds, in which Reynolds discusses, in unquantified terms, the balance of dark and light in a painting.
The Rule of 3 is a powerful communication principle, and it's a powerful way to chunk things down. The idea behind the Rule of 3 is that ideas presented in threes are more appealing, memorable, and effective. It's clear: Information grouped in threes is easier to process and retain.
With sweetness, structure and space infused into your goals and dreams, you will achieve more.
Olympian Alexi Pappas uses her “Rule of Thirds” framework to stay focused when things get hard. It's a simple mindset that reshapes how we view progress: one third good, one third okay, one third hard.