{"id":49973,"date":"2015-12-20T00:30:13","date_gmt":"2015-12-20T08:30:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/iphonephotographyschool.com\/?p=49973"},"modified":"2019-12-12T09:12:33","modified_gmt":"2019-12-12T17:12:33","slug":"rule-of-thirds-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iphonephotographyschool.com\/rule-of-thirds-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Ways To Use The Rule Of Thirds In Your iPhone Photos"},"content":{"rendered":"

The rule of thirds<\/a> is one of the fundamental composition principles in photography<\/a>. It’s all about positioning the most important elements off-center to create a balanced\u00a0and harmonious composition.\u00a0While it sounds simple, it’s often overlooked or misunderstood. In this article you’ll learn how to apply\u00a0the rule of thirds to create well-balanced iPhone photos\u00a0that are naturally pleasing to the eye.<\/p>\n

\"rule<\/p>\n

Stella Oliver<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0– iPhone Photo Masters Student<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

What Is The Rule Of Thirds?<\/h2>\n

To compose your photos according to the rule of thirds, you must imagine your photo divided into nine equal parts using two vertical lines and two horizontal lines.<\/p>\n

In fact, on the iPhone you can easily\u00a0display these gridlines within the camera app. To switch the gridlines on go to Settings > Photos & Camera > Grid.<\/p>\n

\"rule<\/p>\n

The rule of thirds states that the most important elements in the scene should be placed along the gridlines or\u00a0at the intersections where the lines meet.<\/p>\n

In the photo above, you can see that Stella has placed the bird\u00a0at the junction point where the right vertical gridline and bottom gridline meet.<\/p>\n

Positioning the important elements off-center like this, rather than directly in the center of the frame, tends to create a more harmonious and balanced composition that looks and feels right to the human eye.<\/p>\n

Of course, this “rule” is really just a guideline, and when broken intentionally, central subject placement can have a powerful visual impact. But in general, the rule of thirds is a great starting point for any composition.<\/p>\n

So let’s take a look at 10 great ways that you can use\u00a0the rule of thirds to\u00a0position the important elements and subjects in your iPhone photos.<\/p>\n

1. Position\u00a0The Horizon In Landscapes<\/h2>\n

If you’re shooting landscapes<\/a>, the rule of thirds is one of the first things you should think about when composing your photo.<\/p>\n

In general, landscapes don’t look good if the horizon is positioned directly across the center of the photo. Positioning the horizon centrally tends to chop the photo in half, and isn’t very pleasing to the eye.<\/p>\n

For a more naturally balanced composition, it’s best to place the horizon on or near one of the horizontal thirds lines. Whether you position it on the top or bottom gridline will depend on\u00a0what you want to emphasize in the scene.<\/p>\n

\"rule<\/p>\n

Janice McEwan – iPhone Photo Masters Student<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

If the sky is more interesting than the foreground, like this beautiful sunset captured by Janice, it makes sense to position the horizon on the bottom thirds line.<\/p>\n

This allows you to fill two thirds of the frame with sky, drawing the viewer’s attention to that\u00a0part of the scene.<\/p>\n

However, if your landscape has an interesting foreground, then you should consider aligning the horizon along the top thirds line.<\/p>\n

\"rule<\/p>\n

Stella Oliver\u00a0– iPhone Photo Masters Student<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

In this stunning beach photo taken by Stella, the lines, textures and reflections in the foreground add lots of visual interest to the scene.<\/p>\n

So in this case, Stella made a great choice to position the horizon along the top thirds lines, so that the foreground takes up a larger portion of the\u00a0photo.<\/p>\n

While the horizon doesn’t have to align exactly with the horizontal gridlines, positioning it\u00a0off-center nearer the top or bottom of the frame will normally produce a more pleasing composition than a central horizon.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0Position The Main Subject Off-Center<\/h2>\n

With any scene that you choose to photograph, you should always ask yourself, “What’s the main subject in this scene?” Once you know what your main subject is, you then have to decide where to position it within the frame.<\/p>\n

Will\u00a0you position the subject\u00a0centrally or off-center? If you’re positioning it off-center, where exactly should you place? The rule of thirds can help you with this.<\/p>\n

While central subject placement can have a powerful impact, your\u00a0photo will usually\u00a0look more natural and balanced if you position the subject off-center…\u00a0In particular on one of the junction points\u00a0where the horizontal and vertical gridlines meet.<\/p>\n

\"rule<\/p>\n

Janice McEwan – iPhone Photo Masters Student<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

In this lovely sunset photo, Janice has used the rule of thirds to position both the horizon and the main subject (the setting sun).<\/p>\n

The sun is positioned approximately at the junction point where the top gridline and left gridline would\u00a0meet. The photo looks well balanced with this off-center composition.<\/p>\n

\"rule<\/p>\n

Fiona Grose\u00a0– iPhone Photo Masters Student<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

This photo by Fiona is another good example of using the rule of thirds to position both the horizon and the main subject.<\/p>\n

This time, the horizon has been placed near\u00a0the bottom of the frame to give priority to the dramatic sky. And the tree, which is the main subject, has been positioned approximately where the\u00a0bottom gridline and right gridline would intersect.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0Position The Eyes In Portraits<\/h2>\n

\"rule<\/p>\n

Janet Cashin\u00a0– iPhone Photo Masters Student<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

If you’re shooting portraits<\/a> of people or animals, use the rule of thirds to help you position their face and eyes within the scene.<\/p>\n

The eyes are where the viewer’s gaze will be drawn to first, so\u00a0positioning them off-center according to the rule of thirds\u00a0will usually create the strongest composition.<\/p>\n

If you can see both eyes, position them along the top gridline like Janet has done in the photo above. If the subject is posing side-on and you can only see one eye, position the eye on the junction point where two lines meet.<\/p>\n

Positioning the cat’s face on the intersection where the top and right gridlines meet has created a really natural and well-balanced\u00a0composition.<\/p>\n

4. Break Symmetry<\/h2>\n

\"rule<\/p>\n

Jeremy Searle\u00a0– iPhone Photo Masters Student<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The main reason\u00a0to position the horizon centrally is when you have water in the foreground as it allows you to create a symmetrical image<\/a> using the reflection.<\/p>\n

However, you can still incorporate the rule of thirds into a symmetrical image by including a main subject positioned off-center. This has the wonderful effect of breaking the symmetry and creating a more compelling image.<\/p>\n

Jeremy did a great job with the composition of this photo, using an off-center leaf as his main subject in the foreground of this otherwise symmetrical image.<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0Align Vertical Subjects<\/h2>\n

\"rule<\/p>\n

Luis Fernandez\u00a0– iPhone Photo Masters Student<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

If you’re photographing a vertical subject, such as a person, tall building, or the single rose in this photo, always think carefully about where you position it within the frame.<\/p>\n

Placing a tall subject in the middle of the frame can have the same impact as a centrally placed horizon – it cuts the image in half and can look as if you haven’t taken much care with\u00a0composing your image.<\/p>\n

It normally works best to position the subject on either the left or right side of the frame – on or near one of the vertical gridlines.<\/p>\n

I like the way Luis has composed this photo with the rose stem positioned to the left as it balances the detail on the right of the frame.
\n<\/p>\n

6.\u00a0Leave Negative Space<\/h2>\n

\"rule<\/p>\n

Jude Dundas – iPhone Photo Masters Student<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Negative space<\/a> refers to empty space in\u00a0a scene, and it can have a powerful impact on your photo.\u00a0Empty space\u00a0allows you to create a clean and simple composition, placing maximum emphasis on your subject because nothing else is competing for attention.<\/p>\n

While a minimalist scene like this might be simple with very few elements, the\u00a0position of your main subject is really important. It’s very easy to create an awkward and unbalanced composition when there’s lots of empty space.<\/p>\n

Using the rule of thirds will allow you to quickly and easily create a good\u00a0composition where the subject balances the empty space.<\/p>\n

So whenever you’re photographing a scene with lots of negative space, consider aligning\u00a0your main subject on one of the gridlines, or where two lines intersect.<\/p>\n

7.\u00a0Leave Active Space For Moving Subjects<\/h2>\n

\"rule<\/p>\n

Luis Fernandez\u00a0– iPhone Photo Masters Student<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The rule of thirds is perfect for scenes where your subject is moving<\/a> from one side of the frame to the other. Why? Because leaving more space in front of your subject gives them space to “move into.”<\/p>\n

In the photo above, Luis has positioned his moving subject on the left third of the frame. This allows the viewer to easily imagine the woman moving through the frame and walking into the space in front of her.<\/p>\n

If she was positioned on the right hand side of the frame, it would appear that she was about to walk out of the photo. In some cases this can work as it creates tension and drama, but in most cases you should leave more space in front of your subject than behind.<\/p>\n

8.\u00a0Leave Space For The Subject To Look Into<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"rule<\/p>\n

Luis Fernandez\u00a0– iPhone Photo Masters Student<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

You can also use the rule of thirds to compose photos where your subject is looking to the left or the right of the frame.<\/p>\n

It’s best to leave more space in the direction of their gaze as this gives them room to “look into.” Similar to moving subjects, it allows the viewer to follow the subject’s gaze and\u00a0get an idea of what they were looking at.<\/p>\n

If you leave more space behind them than in front, it would appear that\u00a0they were looking out of the frame. Sometimes this can work as it creates a sense of mystery, but in general you should leave more space in front of their eyes than behind.<\/p>\n

9.\u00a0Emphasize\u00a0Important Part Of A Close-Up Subject<\/h2>\n

\"rule<\/p>\n

Luis Fernandez\u00a0– iPhone Photo Masters Student<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

You might not immediately think to use the rule of thirds when taking close up photos<\/a>, but this wonderful flower photo demonstrates just how effective it can be.<\/p>\n

The center of the flower is the focal point<\/a> in this photo, so Luis made an excellent choice to compose the image with this element positioned on the junction point of two gridlines.<\/p>\n

Whenever you’re shooting close-up photos, always ask yourself where you want the eye to be drawn to. Then try positioning that area of the subject off-center according to the rule of thirds.<\/p>\n

10.\u00a0Use Rule Of Thirds\u00a0To Compose Abstracts<\/h2>\n

\"rule<\/p>\n

Ashwin Prasad – iPhone Photo Masters Student<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Similar to shooting close-ups, if you have a scene that has an abstract quality<\/a> with patterns<\/a>, lines<\/a> or textures<\/a>, you can use the rule of thirds when experimenting with the placement of different elements.<\/p>\n

Look for lines and other objects that you could position along one of the gridlines or at one of the junction points. Use these elements to split the composition into one\u00a0third and two thirds.<\/p>\n

This technique is a very easy way to create a harmonious composition from basic abstract elements. Ashwin’s decision to use the railings in one third of the photo\u00a0is a great example of this.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The rule of thirds is one of the fundamental composition principles in photography. It’s all about positioning the most important elements off-center to create a balanced\u00a0and harmonious composition.\u00a0While it sounds simple, it’s often overlooked or misunderstood. In this article you’ll learn how to apply\u00a0the rule of thirds to create well-balanced iPhone photos\u00a0that are naturally pleasing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[303,298],"tags":[31,355,94],"class_list":{"0":"post-49973","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-taking-photos","7":"category-tutorials","8":"tag-composition","9":"tag-iphone-photo-masters","10":"tag-rule-of-thirds","11":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\n10 Ways To Use The Rule Of Thirds In Your iPhone Photos<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how to apply the rule of thirds when composing your iPhone photos to create well-balanced images that are naturally pleasing to the eye.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link 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