Use the rule of thirds

The rule of thirds is a useful compositional tool. It’s been around for centuries.

The idea is very simple. Divide your frame using two vertical and two horizontal lines.

When you’re composing a shot, try to put the most important things (the things you want people to notice) roughly at the points where the lines intersect. For some reason, this is where our eyes rest comfortably when we look at a picture.

Note that the very centre of the frame is not one of the places we are most comfortable looking.

You can put the grid onto the viewfinder of your phone’s camera. Just go to settings and select GRID.

You don’t need to use the rule of thirds for every sort of photograph. It’s not really relevant for a straightforward portrait, for example.

Here are some examples:

Interested? There’s more here.

Activity: Try to shoot some nice photographs using the rule of thirds. Show me the result.