Technical - General - The "Rule of Thirds"

The rule of thirds for the purposes of this brief tutorial relates to the 35mm frame which is 36mm x 24mm or a ratio of 3:2 as indicated below in the first diagram. The second diagram shows the area divided into thirds.

Mathematicians go much deeper into this principle and give us a diagram called the 'Golden Section'. Defined by the ancient Greeks this apparently explains many natural phenomena such as snails, flowers and certain types of leaf. Even if I understood the reasoning I would just say keep in mind the Rule of Thirds grid.When applying the rule, the idea is to place a strong component of the image on the intersection of the thirds grid. Example showing use of the Rule of Thirds can be seen in two pictures by Club members: 'African Elephant' by Ray Bacon and 'Lake Bratan at Dawn' by Barry Henshaw.

The rule of thirds is not absolutely rigid and can be applied loosely as in Barry Henshaw's Lake Bratan shot. Ray Bacon on the other hand has used it quite rigidly to create this graphic image of an African Elephant.

Remember that it is only a guide and need not be used in every case. Just look at the other fine photographs on this website. Those using the Rule of Thirds are in the minority !!