darren
Poobah Emeritus
Yes, rules are made to be broken, but there are some basic rules of photography that when followed will help a photographer grow from taking "snapshots" to making quality images that hold the viewer's interest.
The basic "rules" of photography come from centuries of study and come to photography from painting. The idea behind the rules is that a quality image holds the viewer's attention. Yes, it is subjective, but there are some hard patterns of interest that the human brain falls into.
For example, lines should lead the viewer into the photo and keep their attention and not lead them out of the photo and to a loss of attention. A single subject placed dead center gives the viewer the entire "picture" immediately and the attention is lost quickly. This rule can certainly be broken with a well done centered photo, but it does hold true in the majority of cases. Hence, the rule of thirds...
RULE OF THIRDS
This is probably the most basic and widely known rule. Two "lines" should be drawn across an image 1/3 down from the top and 1/3 up from the bottom. Two more lines should be drawn down the image, 1/3 in from the left and 1/3 in from the right. The placement should not be exactly 1/3 of the way though. It should be weighted slightly towards the edge of the photo. Where the lines intersect is an ideal spot for a subject or point of interest. By placing your main subject at any of the four intersection points, you are giving your subject more emphasis than if it is dead center.
This rule not only applies to placing the main subject at the 1/3 intersection points, but also applies to horizons. A horizon that splits the photo in half most often leads to a "boring" photograph. In most cases, the photographer should make the decision between the land or the sky being the main subject. The horizon should then be 1/3 of the way up from the bottom or 1/3 of the way down from the top. Either the sky or the land should be featured, but not both. One exception to this rule is a reflection of the sky in water.
An example of the 1/3 rule can be seen in this shot:
http://www.vftt.org/gallery/prints/west/west_16-lg.html
The sky was grey and had more of it been shown the viewer would quickly lose attention. The land was more interesting, so it was featuerd. The villa is placed near the upper right 1/3 intersection point.
I took the same photo and overlayed 1/3 lines on it so it is easy to see where the lines are:
http://www.vftt.org/potn/thirds.jpg
The photo also used leading lines to bring your eyes to the left, back to the right and then to the villa. But leading lines is another "rule". I'll let someone else explain that and give an example.
When placing a subject at or close to a 1/3 point, subject motion should be taken into account. The subject needs "room in the frame" to move into. An example:
http://www.vftt.org/gallery/prints/nemtns/nem_08-lg.html
The ice climber is near the 1/3 point and has room to climb into the frame. This lets the viewer imagine what will happen next and hold attention longer.
So, who is next? Pick a "rule" and help pass some knowledge...
- darren
The basic "rules" of photography come from centuries of study and come to photography from painting. The idea behind the rules is that a quality image holds the viewer's attention. Yes, it is subjective, but there are some hard patterns of interest that the human brain falls into.
For example, lines should lead the viewer into the photo and keep their attention and not lead them out of the photo and to a loss of attention. A single subject placed dead center gives the viewer the entire "picture" immediately and the attention is lost quickly. This rule can certainly be broken with a well done centered photo, but it does hold true in the majority of cases. Hence, the rule of thirds...
RULE OF THIRDS
This is probably the most basic and widely known rule. Two "lines" should be drawn across an image 1/3 down from the top and 1/3 up from the bottom. Two more lines should be drawn down the image, 1/3 in from the left and 1/3 in from the right. The placement should not be exactly 1/3 of the way though. It should be weighted slightly towards the edge of the photo. Where the lines intersect is an ideal spot for a subject or point of interest. By placing your main subject at any of the four intersection points, you are giving your subject more emphasis than if it is dead center.
This rule not only applies to placing the main subject at the 1/3 intersection points, but also applies to horizons. A horizon that splits the photo in half most often leads to a "boring" photograph. In most cases, the photographer should make the decision between the land or the sky being the main subject. The horizon should then be 1/3 of the way up from the bottom or 1/3 of the way down from the top. Either the sky or the land should be featured, but not both. One exception to this rule is a reflection of the sky in water.
An example of the 1/3 rule can be seen in this shot:
http://www.vftt.org/gallery/prints/west/west_16-lg.html
The sky was grey and had more of it been shown the viewer would quickly lose attention. The land was more interesting, so it was featuerd. The villa is placed near the upper right 1/3 intersection point.
I took the same photo and overlayed 1/3 lines on it so it is easy to see where the lines are:
http://www.vftt.org/potn/thirds.jpg
The photo also used leading lines to bring your eyes to the left, back to the right and then to the villa. But leading lines is another "rule". I'll let someone else explain that and give an example.
When placing a subject at or close to a 1/3 point, subject motion should be taken into account. The subject needs "room in the frame" to move into. An example:
http://www.vftt.org/gallery/prints/nemtns/nem_08-lg.html
The ice climber is near the 1/3 point and has room to climb into the frame. This lets the viewer imagine what will happen next and hold attention longer.
So, who is next? Pick a "rule" and help pass some knowledge...
- darren
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