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DPChallenge Forums >> Tutorials >> The Rule of Thirds
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08/14/2002 04:57:02 PM · #1
Discussion of...
The Rule of Thirds
by jmsetzler
08/14/2002 07:59:40 PM · #2
Very nice demonstration! Personally, I liked the close up view of my shot better than the original, but could you remove a few of the extra lilly pads?
08/14/2002 08:05:18 PM · #3
Thanks a bunch for this one! I always hear about the rule of thirds but i never fully understood it. I'll always keep it in mind from now on! My pictures could really use it ;O)
08/14/2002 09:24:11 PM · #4
Thanks John
08/15/2002 06:15:11 AM · #5
This tutorial was excellent.

John
08/15/2002 06:18:49 AM · #6
Very good tut, and very useful.
My camera's LCD screen has these lines on it but I never knew what they meant :P

Now I do.

thanks
08/15/2002 06:27:33 AM · #7
Originally posted by konador:
Very good tut, and very useful.
My camera's LCD screen has these lines on it but I never knew what they meant :P

Now I do.

thanks


It does?

Wierd...

John

08/15/2002 07:38:45 AM · #8
Muhahahahaha..... Mine has:
Spot Focus .. Imagine your own thirds grid
Focus guide .. Almost thirds
Grid Mode .. Thirds!!
Scale Mode .. For when I feel like sniping someone!!
And a lazer sight .. Just Kidding :-))

But personally I don't get carried away with getting "perfect" thirds..
the more organic thirds look better IMHO


* This message has been edited by the author on 8/15/2002 7:50:04 AM.
08/15/2002 08:42:39 AM · #9
Originally posted by jeremya:
Muhahahahaha..... Mine has:
Spot Focus .. Imagine your own thirds grid
Focus guide .. Almost thirds
Grid Mode .. Thirds!!
Scale Mode .. For when I feel like sniping someone!!
And a lazer sight .. Just Kidding :-))


How do you like these features? Minolta is coming out with a firmware update Real Soon Now™ that will include, among other things, grid and scale modes.

-Terry
08/15/2002 08:55:19 AM · #10
If you doubt the power of the rule of thirds just think about the rule and watch some television comercials.

John you have done a great job again. I don't know where you find the time.

Thanks,
Autool
08/15/2002 09:12:50 PM · #11
Originally posted by konador:
Very good tut, and very useful.
My camera's LCD screen has these lines on it but I never knew what they meant :P

Now I do.

thanks


Wish mine did....my camera is too crappy! I still am glad I know what it is now but you have the next step up from my camera....lucky....


* This message has been edited by the author on 8/15/2002 9:12:17 PM.
08/16/2002 07:03:46 AM · #12
Originally posted by drewmedia:
Discussion of...
The Rule of Thirds
by jmsetzler


Thanks, that's really helped me out… Just a short time ago, I thought the rule of thirds came after seconds at the dining table – now I know the truth… Great tutorial, really interesting, and if you want to see a good example of a bad example (how a picture looks when the rule isn't applied), check out my something old picture… Today has been a good day – I have learned something… Thanks again…

08/16/2002 07:13:26 AM · #13
It would be great to have a second tutorial that describes how/why/when the rule of thirds should be broken. There are many times when applying it the wrong way can create a clumsy photo.
08/16/2002 07:17:50 AM · #14
Originally posted by lisae:
It would be great to have a second tutorial that describes how/why/when the rule of thirds should be broken. There are many times when applying it the wrong way can create a clumsy photo.

"Breaking" a rule can be done by anyone anywhere anytime. The 'how' part is easy.. just don't line up your points of interest on thirds... Why and When would be at the discretion of the photographer :)


08/16/2002 07:36:55 AM · #15
Well, what I meant was that if there are strong directional elements in your photo that lead your eye around on their own, you don't need to apply the rule of thirds in all cases. And in other situations you might WANT to unsettle your viewer by violating it. The rule is about giving your photo an immediate impact, making it easy to "digest", but if you want the viewer to look twice at the photo and think for a few seconds, shifting elements off the thirds is a good idea.

And also people can be a bit silly with the thirds idea. In portraiture, for example, you should place the eyes on a third rather than the centre point of the head or the body in most situations. I keep seeing photos on DPC where a flower or a person is awkwardly placed off to one side with not enough negative space to actually make the composition interesting. Maybe it's just my personal preference, but that seems bizarre to me.

* This message has been edited by the author on 8/16/2002 7:36:35 AM.
08/16/2002 07:39:04 AM · #16
it's just a guideline for composition. 'rule' is probably a difficult term :) it's also up to the photogrpaher to decide what works best, and up to the viewer to determine if they like it :)
08/16/2002 08:56:59 AM · #17
Is anybody aware of that the rule of thirds is actually based on the "golden section" (or "golden mean"). It's ratio is 1:1.618 (or roughly 3:5) so quite a bit different than 1:3.
I heard about that some time ago and found that rather intersting. Already the old greeks found out that the golden section has a natural and harmonic appeal. E.g. the way how fern spirals grow is based on this pattern.

I found an english website about the golden section here but there are a lot of others, search via
Google.

Just wanted to throw that into the discussion here.

Maybe also a thing to include to the tutorial?

08/16/2002 09:54:54 AM · #18
The golden section is strongly related to the Fibonacci sequence. Anyone who saw the movie "Pi" will know all about it :). It does, indeed, describe many, many things in nature. However, the rule of thirds isn't described as 1:3, it's 1:2, which isn't that far from 1:1.6, at least for the purposes of composition. We could have a rule of fifths and place everything two fifths from the edge of our photos, but it's much easier for people to picture thirds than fifths, which is why it's talked about that way in all types of art and design.

* This message has been edited by the author on 8/16/2002 9:54:24 AM.
08/16/2002 10:02:37 AM · #19
I have a rule of hokie.

If it feels good..do it.

If it feels too good..stop or you'll go blind :-P
08/16/2002 10:30:31 AM · #20
<= laffin his fat arse off :)))
08/16/2002 10:32:22 AM · #21
lisae: *doh* your're right! It is 1:2. I understand that "Rule of Thirds" is much easier to remember for people than "Rule of 1:1.618" ;-) Just found that interesting.

I aslo like "The Rule of hokie" a lot. Imagine that maybe in a couple of years you'll be famous for that invention ;-)

08/16/2002 12:58:20 PM · #22
Originally posted by jmsetzler:
it's just a guideline for composition. 'rule' is probably a difficult term :) it's also up to the photogrpaher to decide what works best, and up to the viewer to determine if they like it :)


For example, my lil' ol' (too grainy! lol!)"People" photo may have worked better centered rather than using the rule of thirds.
08/16/2002 01:33:56 PM · #23
Originally posted by Karen Bryan:
Originally posted by jmsetzler:
[i]it's just a guideline for composition. 'rule' is probably a difficult term :) it's also up to the photogrpaher to decide what works best, and up to the viewer to determine if they like it :)


For example, my lil' ol' (too grainy! lol!)"People" photo may have worked better centered rather than using the rule of thirds.
[/i]


That is a pretty good example of where the rule of thirds would not work well. However, the rule of thirds *could* be applied somewhat if this photo was a vertical orientation :) I still like that shot :)

08/16/2002 01:38:51 PM · #24
Originally posted by hokie:
I have a rule of hokie.

If it feels good..do it.

If it feels too good..stop or you'll go blind :-P


Tutorial coming soon?

08/16/2002 01:44:32 PM · #25
Originally posted by kathleenm:
Originally posted by hokie:
[i]I have a rule of hokie.

If it feels good..do it.

If it feels too good..stop or you'll go blind :-P


Tutorial coming soon?

[/i]

If I gotta teach you..you ain't gonna get it right :-)

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