Rule of Thirds – An Observation
While searching Google today, I noticed several web postings, on other sites, asking if there was a viewfinder available for specific cameras that would display a “Rule of Thirds” grid for photographers to exactly align their primary subjects when they take a picture.
For some reason, this question really intrigues me because it hints at a misunderstanding for why the “Rule of Thirds” grid even exists. It’s almost like some feel that the only way to correctly compose a photograph is to always apply the “Rule of Thirds”.
It just made me pause and think a bit about some of the great photo’s I’ve seen in the past, especially the ones by well known portrait photographers like Richard Avedon or Yousuf Karsh. Just take a peek at these and see if you can apply the “Rule of Thirds” to these photographs. For the most part you can’t.
In fact many of these portraits are perfectly aligned from side-to-side. Definitely not the “Rule of Thirds” at play. BUT the important aspect here is that a few of these portraits are intentionally aligned just off-center just to provide enough of a hint that the subject is off-balance visually.
Placing a subject exactly in the middle of a photo gives the viewer an impression that the subject is perfectly balanced and stable, as if they were perfectly balanced on a tight with no signs of unsteadiness. Move the subject slightly off-center with nothing to balance it on the other side, and now that same subject begins to look unstable. As a viewer, it tends to make you feel a bit uneasy about the subject.
I wasn’t around the conversation when the “Rule of Thirds” was first discussed, but I do understand the premise behind it. Basically, there are some photo’s that you do want to balance perfectly in the middle, there are probably an equal number of photo’s that you do not. Knowing that difference, is the difference behind an average photo and great photo.
The “Rule of Thirds” is really more of a guideline to break the habit of always centering subjects in the middle of a photograph. Obviously it’s a hard habit to break, and requires a little more thought before taking that photograph. The “Rule of Thirds” is really more of a guideline, rather than a rule and realizing this difference is something that I think we can all learn from.
Source: Digital Camera Notebook
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