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Key Takeaways

  • Use the rule of thirds to create dynamic photos with balanced composition.
  • Enable the grid on your digital camera to apply the rule of thirds easily.
  • Remember different situations may require breaking the rule of thirds for better photos.

The rule of thirds is the first rule of photography every beginner will end up using the most. In a nutshell, it's a method to frame your photos better with the help of a nine-squared grid that draws the eyes of the viewer to the object of attention. So, let's see what the rule of thirds is and when you should use it.

What Is the Rule of Thirds?

The rule of thirds has one main purpose for better composition of your photos: balance.

It is one of photography's most basic guidelines. Imagine your frame divided into three horizontal sections and three vertical sections by two horizontal lines and two vertical lines. Any interesting element in a scene should be placed along one of these lines or at one of their intersections for more dynamic photos.

The best way to imagine it is as a tic-tac pattern on top of your photo.

Rule of Thirds Example

The rule of thirds works because science says that our eyes are naturally drawn to objects that are slightly off-center rather than the center of the image. The four intersecting points are the most effective off-center points of visual interest.

An interesting point of trivia: The term was first mentioned in John Thomas Smith's book Remarks on Rural Scenery, published in 1797. There are other essential rules of photography that have been borrowed from mathematics and psychology.

How to Use the Rule of Thirds In-Camera

The rule of thirds is not a hard rule you must stick to. Placing the main subject of your photo away from the center will not always give you a nicer photo.

The rule of thirds can be applied to any subject, and it helps you think about your composition before you click the shutter. It can improve your otherwise humdrum shots. It also can be a quickfire shortcut to take a photo when you don't have time to think and frame the scene.

Use the Grid in Your Digital or Mobile Camera

Almost all cameras, including your Android or iOS device, have the rule of thirds grid on their electronic displays and viewfinders. You might have to enable it. To do so, head into the settings on your camera and find the option to enable grid lines. Some manufacturers will include several different options.

Here's how to enable or disable the Grid from an iPhone's Camera settings (it is enabled by default).

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Scroll down the list to Camera.
  3. Under the Composition group, enable the toggle for Grid.

How to Use Grids and Crop Overlays in Photoshop and Lightroom

You can always crop your shots in any editing software and improve them with the rule of thirds. Photoshop and Lightroom have crop guide overlays that include the rule of thirds grid. Use this grid as you crop your image to place the most interesting elements along the intersecting lines.

You can also customize grid settings to create an overlay.

How to Show a Grid in Photoshop

In Photoshop, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + K (Mac: Command + K) to open Preferences. Click on Guides, Grid & Slices from the list on the left and change the settings for the Grid section as follows:

  1. Gridline every 100 percent. Subdivisions 3.
  2. Click OK.
  3. Press Ctrl + ' (Command + ') to toggle the grid on a photo every time.
Photoshop Preferences and settings for the Grid layout

You also get the grid with Photoshop's most used tool—the Crop. When you click on it in the Toolbox (or press C), it instantly puts a rule-of-thirds grid over your image.

How to Show a Grid in Lightroom Classic

Lightroom helps you out with "Crop Guides" for more precise crops. Open your photo and follow the steps below.

  1. Go to the Develop module.
  2. Select the Crop Overlay option (or use the keyboard shortcut R) on the right panel.
  3. Click on Tools > Crop Guide Overlay > Thirds to display the grid on top of your photo.
Lightroom rule Of thirds crop overlay guide

You can check your composition against the rule of thirds or tweak the photo by cropping it for better balance.

The Rule of Thirds in Action

Let's apply the guides to two common scenarios: Landscapes and Portraits.

Landscapes

Rule Of Thirds Landscape

It's often tough to balance landscape shots—you cannot move anything to create a strong focal point. The rule of thirds helps to create visual appeal. For instance, you can align the horizon with one of the intersecting lines. Avoid placing the horizon in the middle of the frame when shooting landscapes. Usually, placing the horizon on the bottom line is best to convey the vastness of the sky.

Other elements in the photo (for instance, a tree or a house) can be placed near one of the four intersecting points.

Portraits

Portrait with the help of Rule of Thirds

While most portraits keep the subject in the middle of the frame, you can create interesting portraits by placing your subject away from the center. Eyes are always interesting points of interest, so you should place them along the intersections of the grids.

Also, try to align the axis of a person's body along one of the vertical grid lines. Use the direction of the glance to place the person on the right or left vertical line.

When Not to Use the Rule of Thirds

The rule of thirds taps into the natural movement of our eyes. It can be a default method to go with, and you will do just that as you become better at photography. But do remember that the scene should dictate the composition and not the other way around.

These are not hard and fast rules, but there will be many situations when you should avoid using the rule of thirds.

1. When You Want to Fill the Frame

Filling the frame with your object

The most common alternative to the rule of thirds is placing the focal point of a photo in the center. Symmetrical photos like portraits, for example, will need an immediate and direct focus on the main subject. In such situations, you can safely fill the frame with your object at the dead center.

Some photos, like architecture or one part of a building with a repeating pattern, can have more than one point of focus. You can ignore the rule of thirds if some of them lie on the intersecting lines.

2. For Instagram Worthy Square Photos

Example of a square photo from Instagram

Centering an interesting element at the dead center of the photo works well for square photos. The element is then equidistant from all the four corners, creating symmetry.

3. In Photos With Busy Backgrounds

Field of flowers shot with shallow depth of field

You can break the rule of thirds when the background of your photo is busy. For instance, a field of flowers or a crowd at a fair. Use a shallow depth of field and center the main object of attention.

4. When Leading Lines Work Better

Example of Leading Lines in photography

Leading lines are another composition technique. In this photo, a track leads the eyes of the viewer towards a distant point from the center of the frame. Your gaze wouldn't travel with the grass and the trees toward the house in the distance if you had used the rule of thirds to capture the photo.

Looking at everything from behind a grid might bake the rule of thirds into your muscle memory. But always try to break out and try different compositions. The idea behind the photo triumphs over everything else—the rule of thirds won't work if the story in the photo is weak.