Mastering the rule of thirds isn’t hard when you understand the concept. Chances are that you’ve probably already heard a little bit about the rule of thirds, even if you’re new to design in general. That’s because this guideline is a centuries-old design principle that has been proven to produce great results. The beauty of it is that it doesn’t just apply to design, but also photography, paintings, films—really the visual arts in general. The rule of thirds empowers you to have a good idea of how to arrange the elements in your shot to create the most visually appealing effect. This is in contrast to what some would do, which is
simply centering the picture in the frame and hoping for the best. Long story short, this rule states that you’ll get the best results from your images when you divide them into nine, equal parts; the most vital compositional elements should then be strategically placed along the horizontal and vertical lines that divide the picture into those equal parts. If mastering the rule of thirds has you stumped or working harder than you’d like, fret no more. Here’s how to succeed at it. Where Does the Rule of Thirds Come From? Historically, this rule is a few centuries old already, having been first described by English painter, antiquarian and engraver John Thomas Smith in 1797. Smith coined this phrase in his book called Remarks on Rural Scenery, in which he refers to an earlier work that discusses at length the process of balancing darkness and light in paintings
Mastering the rule of thirds isn’t hard when you understand the concept. Chances are that you’ve probably already heard a little bit about the rule of thirds, even if you’re new to design in general. That’s because this guideline is a centuries-old design principle that has been proven to produce great results. The beauty of it is that it doesn’t just apply to design, but also photography, paintings, films—really the visual arts in general. The rule of thirds empowers you to have a good idea of how to arrange the elements in your shot to create the most visually appealing effect. This is in contrast to what some would do, which is
simply centering the picture in the frame and hoping for the best. Long story short, this rule states that you’ll get the best results from your images when you divide them into nine, equal parts; the most vital compositional elements should then be strategically placed along the horizontal and vertical lines that divide the picture into those equal parts. If mastering the rule of thirds has you stumped or working harder than you’d like, fret no more. Here’s how to succeed at it. Where Does the Rule of Thirds Come From? Historically, this rule is a few centuries old already, having been first described by English painter, antiquarian and engraver John Thomas Smith in 1797. Smith coined this phrase in his book called Remarks on Rural Scenery, in which he refers to an earlier work that discusses at length the process of balancing darkness and light in paintings
