Photography School 101

Digital Photography School had an assignment using the Rule of Thirds. Here's what I learned:

To follow this rule, simply take a photo and divide it up into three sections vertically and three sections horizontally. Now there are three boxes on the top, three in the middle, and three at the bottom. The box in the middle of all of them is the center. This compositional rules basically advises you not to take pictures in that middle box. When you put the object smack bang in the middle, not only will it look amateurish, but it is also boring.



I took this photo and broke it up into a few thirds. (Or something like that.) I have the fence going 2/3 up the photo instead of the top of the fence right in the center. I also have the tire swing in the left third instead of, well, you get it. I do like the composition. That Rule of Thirds is onto something.
 
I've also got this, that I took earlier this summer. I loved this photo enough to enlarge it and paste it on my living room wall (despite having a child missing in it, but hey, if I waited for all the kids to be together photos would never happen).  No wonder I love it - it follows the rules!
 
brothers
 
You know what's awesome? Micah instinctively knows that Rule of Thirds, and he doesn't even know how to compose his subjects in the viewfinder. Behold, his photography skills.
 
 
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The boy rocks. I'll take lessons from him in future.

3 comments:

Flea said...

It's genetic.

Carol N. said...

:o)

Karen, my old friend John is a photographer - he has a few photos with the rule of thirds:

http://www.somegoodnoise.ca/tag/rule-of-thirds/

He's a dog guy, too!

Michelle said...

Good lesson - I need to remember this sometimes, both in taking the photos and on the rare occasions that I edit and crop them ;)

Gotta love what Micah knows without being taught, no?