Rule of Thirds

The Rule of Thirds is one of the most basic rules in Compositional Photography. But, it isn’t really a rule; it’s more of a Guideline.  In reality, there aren’t any real ‘rules’ in photography. Every scene, every photo, every visual opportunity presents a unique set of challenges, and therefore, a unique set of ways to shoot them.

In your mind’s eye, create a tic-tac-toe grid inside the viewfinder of your camera. (Some cameras have a grid mode that you can turn on and off).  Line up your shot so that the focus point of your shot (in this case Roger) lies on the of the 4 grid intersections. Notice that because Roger is toward the left side of the photo, and also that he is moving toward the right, he moves your eye from left to right (the direction that he is moving in) which makes the houses and boats much more a part of the photo setting. If he were in the center, you would see mostly him, and you may or may not really notice much about the beautiful setting.