The First rule: The rule of thirds!

The First rule: The rule of thirds!

Photography is as much an art as it is a science so there are some rules.

Now, those rules are not made to be followed precise, but more as a guideline.

It's based on the principle of the golden ratio developed in the classical ages and the Renaissance.

It's mean't to express what's appealing to the human eye. Not only the human one by the way.

This is the reason it's embedded into many flowers and plants.

In the twentieth century, many artists and architects used the golden ratio. 

Especcialy in the form of the golden rectangles.

I think you're asking yourself right now: "what has the golden ratio to do with the rule of thirds?"

Well the rule of thirds is inspired and based on the golden ratio.

With help of this principle of the golden ratio, artists designed a grid.

Later on this was changed to the rule of thirds, wich is just a grid made up of nine squares or rectangles.

The use of this "thing" is to make pictures more intresting. 

But also to make sure that the horizon isn't the biggest part of the picture.

The main subject has to be on one of the intersections of the lines, to grab the viewers intrest.

If you're taking a picture, you haven't always got the grid to use.

This isn't much of a problem, because you don't have to place it exactly on the intersection.

Remeber: photography is also an art, not only a science.

It looks also nice when the horizon is on one of the two horizontal lines. 

This will make sure that it is level, or as I like to say: the water doesn't leak out of the picture.

If you're taking a picture of a landscape, I recomend you use the sky as the upper two thirds of the picture.

approxiametly the position of the lines!

Mobile tips!

If you're taking a picture with a phone, it's just the same.
If possible, set a grid on your phones camera interface.


This isn't the hard part yet of photograpy. Or the nicest!
But use it in your advantage!

Mel

Rules are there to be broken, so don't follow them blindly. Think!

Mel

PS

Sorry for the weird lines on the picture, I'm going to install something better than "paint"

Like photoshop or the Gimp.