The Rule Of Thirds

The rule of thirds is a camera composition rule. It has been described as one of the most important rules of photography. It consists of diving the shot into nine parts by drawing two lines equidistant from each other horizontally and vertically. Points of interest should be focused on these lines to increase the visual aesthetics of the shot. For example, in a portrait, the focus should be off centre to cover one of the cross sectional lines. Below is several examples from my own source to demonstrate the rule.

By placing points of interest along these lines, the picture becomes more balanced and can be interpreted more naturally by the viewer.

As you can see from the picture (left) the lines provide a guide for the position of points of interest. Eye lines should be on these lines for example.

Here are a few examples of the rule of thirds in action. As you can see, the main focal points of the photograph are along the lines. This makes the picture far more aesthetically pleasing to the viewer and keeps them interested in what is going on in said picture.

When filming my main or preliminary tasks, I will be keeping the rule of thirds in mind. A good film uses this compositional technique in almost all aesthetic shots. As you can see below in the film clip, the rule of thirds is used to make the shot more visually appealing to the viewer. Eyes of characters are often along the cross sectional lines of the rule of thirds. I will be using this technique in my own future films.