Rule of thirds

For other uses, see Rule of thirds (diving) and Rule of three (disambiguation).
The photograph demonstrates the application of the rule of thirds. The horizon in the photograph is on the horizontal line dividing the lower third of the photo from the upper two-thirds. The tree is at the intersection of two lines, sometimes called a power point[1] or a crash point.[2]

The rule of thirds is a rule of thumb for composing visual images such as designs, films, paintings, and photographs.[3] The guideline proposes that an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally spaced horizontal lines and two equally spaced vertical lines, and that important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections.[4] Aligning a subject with these points creates more tension, energy and interest in the composition than simply centering the subject.

  1. ^ Davis, Tim; Renee, Lynn (April 1995). "Nature". Popular Photography. Retrieved 2018-09-04.
  2. ^ Wolloff, Win (January 2004). Photography Companion for the Digital Artist. Pearson.
  3. ^ Meech, Sandra (2007). Contemporary Quilts: Design, Surface and Stitch. Sterling. ISBN 978-0-7134-8987-3.
  4. ^ Peterson, Bryan F. (2003). Learning to see creatively. Amphoto. ISBN 0-8174-4181-6.