Before I start I want you to look at the photograph that I’ve included here. I want you to note on a piece of paper what was the first thing you looked at in this picture, what was the next point your eye moved to, etc… then I want you to draw a line (almost like connect the dots) to map out how you looked at this photograph…. Keep this aside… I will explain more later on.

Composition is what can make any subject look AMAZING! Composition is the strategic placement of your subject(s) in your photographs. This means by adjusting the amount of negative space (absence of subject) and positive space (filling the frame with subject). Composition in your photographs is very important to understand. Why, because it helps create movement within your pictures. (now getting into why I asked you to draw the lines before). The boring, straight on snapshot photos with the subject in the center, level negative and positive spacing  and even shooting angles (from lesson #2) just makes it “blahh”. You say, “ehh that’s a good picture.” To make your photos stand out event more use this helpful guide called “the rule of thirds.” This will make the people say, “Wow, that’s a GREAT photograph.”

The rule of thirds is a way to equally divide your photos by 2 lines vertically and horizontally to create an invisible grid creating 9 boxes dividing the picture into thirds, hence the name.  This will help you adjust your subject in the photos properly. I have illustrated this in the picture to the right. Not only does this work for photography, it works in graphic design too. Balancing out your main points in the layouts helps in the delivery of your work. Now look at your line of sight in this photograph… does it match the line I drew for you here?

Mostly all of you looked at the moon first, went to the lights on the church front, over to the trees to the right and then back up to the top of the steeple. If you didn’t, I am curious to see what you saw first… comment below. By me having an understanding of the rule of thirds I am able to dictate movement of your eyes in this photograph by placing my subject(s) in the frame according to what I want you to see, think or feel. The whitest/brightest part of a dark image is going to the first thing your eye is attracted to… this is human nature, much like the blonde haired, blue eyed girl in the red dress at a party is the first girl that is noticed by everyone at the party. There is a reason why men go for this girl, all bright colors in a dark environment.

Another example of composition is in the video below. The strength in this message is increased because of the composition of the pups in the frame. If you watched the video without sound, you still will feel emotionally attached to the subjects without hearing the message. P.S. Adopt a dog!

To sum this all up…. Think of the rule of thirds when taking a picture. Know your subject and look at the background. Keep in mind the sight lines that you create. In the  next lesson I will dig deeper into the sight lines to help you understand that more. You can dictate how people look and feel about your photograph by understanding composition. Any comments or question add them below. Keep shooting all!