Composition and the Rule of Thirds

Unit 18 – Producing Print Based Material

Today’s Aim...

• To understand what the ‘rule of thirds’ is, why it is used in a wide variety of print media and to put it into practice ourselves...

Rule of Thirds History

• In photography and film making the Rule of Thirds is used to make the overall composition more pleasing to the eye

• The idea comes from a history of painting and art

• Sometimes linked to ‘Golden Mean’

What is it?

• Frame is divided into three horizontal and vertical sections

• Image is placed at intersections

Why use it?• Conventional –

used repeatedly so that the audience come to expect it

• Creates a ‘natural’ sense of balance in a shot

Task 1• You work as photo editor for a

Digital SLR Photography magazine. Some images have been submitted of a high quality but your boss thinks they need to be reframed before publication. Use your knowledge of composition and Rule of Thirds to make the images more attractive

In turns, come up to the images and crop them by drawing on the rule of thirds grid

Task 2

• Scenario: You work for a local newspaper and they have asked you to shoot some portraits of typical students for their latest edition.

You must plan the shoot using basic storyboard techniques

• Think about the Rule of Thirds, where would you place your subject within the frame?

Task 3

• Using the theme you started with last week, try to get at least two well composed images, utilising The Rule of Thirds and what we know about Line, Texture and Pattern

• Be back with at least 20 mins spare to upload onto your memory card

Review

• Divide frame into three horizontal & vertical lines –place subject at intersection

• Rule of Thirds helps us to compose a shot that the audience recognises and wants

• Can be used in a variety of media types

Shot 1 Shot 2