The rule of thirds is a compositional guideline or ‘rule of thumb’ that can be employed in order to strengthen the composition of one’s images. It advises that prominent vertical or horizontal features within the image, such as a horizon, a tree, or a main portrait subject, be placed one third of the way into the image, either vertically or horizontally. Hence a horizon would be placed either one third of the height of the image from the top, or the bottom, in order to give the most pleasing composition for the viewer. In reality of course one often relies more on gut feel, and not all scenes offer the possibility of using this rule. But it can be a handy guide to keep in one’s head when playing around with the composition of a scene. Do please use the Not on Brief button sparingly in this contest. Whether images conform strictly to this rule or not is often difficult to adjudicate on, so let’s give each other the benefit of the doubt, and enjoy the debate instead.
This Premium Contest is worth 3x the standard points towards your Leaderboard ranking. It’s Expert-judged, but with no Crowd vote. Find out more about ranking points here. Our Experts are some of the world’s finest photographers, who select the best images, and provide valuable feedback to help you improve.
This contest is expert judged only with no rating by the crowd. You will be able to find out how you did when the judging or rating period has closed.