Rule of Thirds - Group Post

What is the Rule of Thirds?

The rule of thirds is applied by aligning a subject with the guide lines and their intersection points, placing the horizon on the top or bottom line, or allowing linear features in the image to flow from section to section.The theory is that if you place points of interest in the intersections or along the lines that your photo becomes more balanced and will enable whoever  looks at the image to interact with it more naturally. Studies have shown that when viewing images that people’s eyes don't normally look at the centre of the shot, they usually focus on one of the intersection points. Using the rule of thirds works with this natural way of viewing an image rather than working against it.

Examples:

The above  is a bad example of the Rule of Thirds due to the fact that the person is positioned in the centre of the screen. This is not the viewers focus point as we don't tend to look directly in the middle. Also the person is wearing a dark blazer which blends in with the background so it is hard to see him.

The above picture is a good example of the Rule of thirds rule due to the fact that the person is positioned more to the left of the image where the intersections of the lines would be. This is the audiences main focus point so it will grab their attention almost instantly. Not only this but the light coming from the end of the tunnel makes the person more visible and he is away from the dark shadow on the right.