CEE’S COMPOSE YOURSELF PHOTO CHALLENGE: WEEK #9 RULE OF THIRDS INTRODUCTION
For some reason, an off-center picture is more pleasing to us. It looks more natural. We know from the Brain Game tv show that if we stare at something right in the middle of the screen, our peripheral vision diminishes to the point where it’s not working much at all. Maybe that is what’s happening… we like things off-centered so that we can see more of what’s going on around us.
We also know that the brain fills in negative space, so maybe that’s all part of how we tell stories with pictures. You’ll see what I mean in a moment.
So let’s divide your view finder into a gird with nine boxes (see grid for landscape photos to the right). The rule of thirds says that you should place the subject of your picture on one of the points where the lines intersect.
Non-photographically speaking, reality isn’t centered. The real world is rarely framed front and center, so perhaps eccentric looks more natural because it is more natural.
Let me see what I can find that fits the challenge. Among my more than 100,000 images, there are bound to be a few, right?
Just remember: There are a million exceptions for every rule. Sometimes, the picture is in the middle and that’s precisely where it belongs.
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Lots to learn in this lil’ lesson on thirds. At least for me 🙂 I’ll be much more intuitive now in my photography. Those were some beautiful shots btw.
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Thanks. It’s really easier than it looks. Don’t center everything and it will fall into place. Oh, and avoid busy backgrounds 🙂
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Wonderful photos for this challenge. Congratulations on being Cee’s Gold Star blogger!
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Thanks, Trisha. It’s an honor. Improved my week … a lot!
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Congratulations, Marilyn. You have some splendid examples of thirds.The moon was wondrous.
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Thank you. That is one of the two composite photographs I ever made. Photoshop and a couple of pictures that worked together. I haven’t done it since, but maybe I’ll have the right photographs again some day.
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Congratulations. I have awarded this post the Gold Star Award for Rule of Thirds Introduction in Cee’s Compose Yourself Photo Challenge.
http://ceenphotography.com/2015/12/09/ccy-week-9-gold-star-award-and-features/
I sure hope this finds you having a marvelous week.
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You’ve given me a real leg up on a marvelous week. I’m flying high thanks to you. Thank you again!! You are improving my work. There’s no such thing as “knowing everything.” We are always learning and you are helping. Thank you again!!
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We can never be too old to learn. That is also a mark of a good teacher, someone who remains teachable. The pleasure was all mine 😀 😀
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Wonderful photos and examples. I love the street scenes.
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Thank you 🙂 I didn’t take them as illustrations, but they worked out pretty well.
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I am learning from everyone! Your photos seemed perfect.
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Thank you. They are imperfect. But everything is imperfect and sometimes, it’s the imperfections that make things exciting 🙂
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What variety in your shots for this challenge!
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Thanks. That was what I was aiming for, just to illustrate that there are a lot of ways pictures align to that grid and it isn’t always as obvious as you think. I believe we do this instinctively anyway and don’t really have to force it. If you have an eye, you have an eye.
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So explain to me why when I lose something and can’t find it, it’s usually right in front of me where I should have been starring in the first place.., according to your opening statement? Never mind what cameras do I’ve got a problem here…
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It’s the pixies. They steal our stuff, then they put it back right where we already looked.
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