Rule of Thirds

Edgar Degas L'etoile 1876-77

• You can use the rule of thirds as a guide in the off-center placement of your subjects.
• The intersections of these imaginary lines suggest four options for placing the center of interest for good composition.
• You can also apply the rule of thirds guidelines to the placement of the horizon in your photos.

Imagine you're shooting a landscape and there's an isolated farmhouse in the distance or a single tree in the middle of a field, acting as the main focal point. Most photographers would stick this subject in the centre of the frame - which can work in some situations. However, you will generally get a more pleasing sense of balance if you position it using the rule-of-thirds.
To do this, divide-up your camera's viewfinder into an imaginary grid using two horizontal and two vertical lines. The focal point is then placed on or near any of the four intersection points created by those lines.

The rule of thirds can also be used to help you position the horizon. It's tempting to stick it across the center of the frame, but unless you're shooting a symmetrical scene, such as reflections in a lake, the result tends to look very static and lifeless.
A much better approach is to place the horizon one third from the top or the bottom of the frame, so you're emphasizing either the sky or ground. To help you achieve this, divide the viewfinder into thirds using two imaginary horizontal lines, then compose the scene before you so the horizon falls on one of them.

You should never force a picture to comply with the rule-of-thirds, but when used with care it can work well and after a while you will find yourself naturally dividing the scene into thirds to aid the position of important elements.