Christian Photographers Community

Good morning everyone,

God Bless,

Could not sleep so I decided to work on a photo for this site.  I am sure there are several individuals here who are familiar with what is known as the Rule of Thirds.  If you have please bare with me, but if you have not then you are going to learn something very intresting.  There are things that one can do to make a photo more appealing to the eye.  When I am done you will notice that it is used in several places.  Artists use this rule as well as Movies and regular television.  When watching your next TV show or TV advertisement, Notice one thing.  They will almost never put the focal point in the center of the screen.  That is boring and will lose the audiance.   In this picture I posted you will notice I kind of drew a Tic Tac Toe board on it.  



Do you see where the Lines cross in the four places on the picture.  If you follow the Rule of Thirds you will want to place your Focal point in anyone of the places where the intersecting lines cross.  That provides what is called "an eye pleasing photo"

I hope I was able to explain that clearly.  If not you are welcome to IM me.  :-)

This is just a basic photographic element and boy are there many, but I hope you can use this because it should improve a persons snapshots by roughly 15-25%.

That is just an afterthought.

May Gods Grace be with you through the Holy Spirit.

With Love,

John Lambiase (TurboTech)

John, that's a wonderful lesson!  Thanks so much!

Do you have the photo without the tic tac toe so that we may see the final version?

Here is one of the shots.  Not the exact one but it was on a tripod so it is very close.

Enjoy.  :-)




John

Thanks for the lesson...very pleasing (to the eye) photo!
Not wanting to be the devils advocate, but - they tell me there are exceptions to the rule!  

This is correct Pinkie,

There are other compositional types known as L-Shape, S-shape, and Golden Mean (sort of the Greek rule of thirds) compositions.


I will not get into those since I barely know or use them myslef.  

God Bless  

John Lambiase (TurboTech)

Hey, John!

Are you at work?  Great to see you popping in.  Maybe we'll have more lessons on these other plans.

Hurry and get to know all about them!

I was lucky to have the last three days off.  

I have to leave for work soon.  I am a Medical Scientist by trade.  I analyze body fluids in the hospital.  I work second shift.  So I go in at 2:30 EST.   Speaking if which it is shower time Gotta go.  


:-)

God Bless.  

John Lambiase

Quote from: pinkie on September 15, 2003, 10:14:23 AM
Thanks for the lesson...very pleasing (to the eye) photo!
Not wanting to be the devils advocate, but - they tell me there are exceptions to the rule!  

There are always exceptions to the rules, Pinkie!!

I have found that the rule of thirds works well, most of the time.  Sometimes, though, having the subject dead center helps to convey the message a little better.  The only example I can think of off the top of my head is in the "Road Signs" challenge at DPC.  They centered teh shot exactly.  Though many thought that was negative, I found it very effective, because you STOP at stop signs, and placing a subject in the center of the picture "stops" the eyes.  So on and so forth.

I'm kinda a free spirit - (the Son has set me free!) and I like thinking outside the box.  I think it's good not to be too bound to RULES!  Rules were made to be broken - sometimes!  (I'll probably get alot of flak from that statement!)  Well, in photography, anyway!  

I agree (about photography rules), but like I tell my students, "Sometimes it is helpful to know how to use the rule so that you know when it is good to break."

I also look at the Rule of Thirds and consider it more of a strong suggestion.  There are 6 pictures showing on the home page of DPChallenge right now (all ribbon winners).  Two of them are obvious rules of third.  (3rd- Insect, 1st - Nostalgia).  Two of them follow the "rule" but it is not obvious (1st Insect, 3rd Nostalgia) and the two second place winners use "another rule."

I did learn today.  I have heard of the 'Rule of Thirds' but I will confess, I thought you were to put the subject in the center of one of the outer thirds....not on the crosshairs.  

But then, I probably don't follow even the 'Rules of MY Thirds'.  I just look at it and if it is pleasing, I click!!!

Thanks John
It was a helpful reminder, though I tend to break the rule at times, if the situation warrants it.
Really nice photo.
Question to ponder: if it is a rule of "thirds", what do they do in Europe?  

Hi everyone.  I couldn't sleep, so decided to really check out the photography section.  That, and the fact that Sonja had been pointing everyone to the photos.  It worked for me!

 I like to think outside the lines too.....but I know I, as a new photographer, need to have a firm understanding of the basic rules of photography before I decide which rule breaking will be effective.

  Right now I just do like you said, Etta Sue.  I just go different angles till it pleases my eye.  I know I've changed already since joining DPC and reading all the forums and seeing how people vote.....what photos they like.  It's just fun.

Quote from: ByGrace on September 17, 2003, 08:32:23 PM

Question to ponder: if it is a rule of "thirds", what do they do in Europe?  

...or Canada!    What a good question!!!  LOL

Quote from: Pat Scott on October 11, 2003, 10:45:45 AM

Quote from: ByGrace on September 17, 2003, 08:32:23 PM

Question to ponder: if it is a rule of "thirds", what do they do in Europe?  

...or Canada!    What a good question!!!  LOL

OK, I don't get it.  Do you not divide things into thirds in Canada and Europe?   Or is this one of those imperial vs. metric things?

Oh, some of us still use it but with the metric, guess it's 10th x 3???  HAHAHA

Re the Rule of Thirds in Europe........

Britain is lucky to see one hundredth.

Where is Europe? There's some money there but we don't see it.

Our fishing industry would like just one third!

OVER AND OUT.........
JENNY.

If you take a look at any photo that is pleasing to the eye and makes you say "wow", you will notice that the photographer had used the rule of thirds.  

When you become more aware of your background and composition then the rule of thirds starts to come into play.  It does have to do with growing in your photography skills.

Of course rules are ment to be broken, but just one thing. Try it, you might be surprised with the results.

I figured it had something to do with the metric system, Pat.    I was confused because I was wondering if you divided stuff with fractions.  You know, like half a tank of gas.  I know cultures are different, but I didn't think they were that different.  

Quote from: Sonifo on October 13, 2003, 12:42:04 PM
If you take a look at any photo that is pleasing to the eye and makes you say "wow", you will notice that the photographer had used the rule of thirds.  

When you become more aware of your background and composition then the rule of thirds starts to come into play.  It does have to do with growing in your photography skills.

Of course rules are ment to be broken, but just one thing. Try it, you might be surprised with the results.

Sonja is very correct here.  I think it's pretty well accepted that portraits of a single individual don't work well with rule of thirds, and portraits of a large group don't work well with it.  Rule of thirds is most effective when you have a single subject and a fairly simple background.  I would say it is primarily effective when you are doing a "storytelling" photo or some type of thematic illustration.  However, keeping it in mind will often awaken you to different compositions that catch the viewers eye more effectively than simply centering the subject.