Photographic Composition: The Rule of Thirds and The Horizon Line

The Rule of Thirds

The first thing taught in photographic composition classes is generally the “Rule of Thirds.” Learning this rule will change the way you look through your viewfinder and compose your photograph. The concept dates back to Euclid, the Greek mathematician, around 300 BC. Renaissance artists later employed this principal in the creation of priceless works of art. Proven effective over centuries, this rule is designed to help photographers and artists create pleasant, balanced images that are easy to view.

Rule of Thirds Grid

So, what is the Rule of Thirds?

The Rule of Thirds states that you should break your frame into nine equal parts using two dissecting vertical lines and two dissecting horizontal lines. These four lines intersect at the sweet spots for subject placement.

The top horizontal line is called the ‘eye line.’ When photographing people, animals, creatures or fish, this is a great area in the frame to place their eyes. The lower line is called the ‘horizon line.’ I’ll talk more about placement of the horizon in photographs later.

Does this mean you should never center your subject ever again?

No, absolutely not! Although it’s called a Rule, think of it more as a Guideline. There will be times when you make a conscience decision to center your subject. Consider all the angles and don’t be afraid to break the rules.

Now, let’s see the Rule of Thirds in action.

The centered tarantula makes the photo feel static.

The rule of thirds grid and sweet spots.

By recomposing the photograph, I arranged the tarantula to one of the sweet spots. Visually, it’s a much more appealing image. I’ve also given the spider more room to move into the frame (called active space) and created a sense of movement (something else I’ll talk more about later).

Positioning the tarantula off center creates a more dynamic image.

The Rule of Thirds grid shows the placement of the tarantula.

Horizon line:

To avoid a static and dull image, place the horizon line off center. Whether you choose to place it on the ‘horizon line’ of the Rule of Thirds grid, or to place it in the upper third of the frame is dependent on your subject matter and the feeling you wish to convey in your final image.

A high horizon line creates more depth.

A high horizon line creates depth
To accentuate a sense of distance, place the horizon line high in the frame. This is especially effective if the subject is in the lower third of the frame and there is a strong foreground. In this Monument Valley photograph, other than a few low lying clouds the sky was just blue … a.k.a. boring. On the other hand, my foreground was made more interesting with a large bolder, which I fit in the frame by lowering my horizon. By choosing a high horizon line, I captured that sense of vastness and depth in the desert landscape.

Cut out the boring foreground to accentuate the interesting sky.

A low horizon line eliminates boring foregrounds
If there’s a dynamic sky, give it more room in the frame by lowering the horizon line. In this image, my sky was interesting and my foreground was dull. So, I lowered my horizon, cut out the foreground and accentuated the sky.

Moving the horizon line (especially moving it up) will spot light the subject.
Use the placement of your horizon to isolate your subject. In the Moving Rocks photo below (and to the right) the horizon line is in the upper two thirds of the frame, and the subject (the rock) has a sense of isolation about it. The photo with the centered horizon, however, doesn’t have that sense at all … it just feels heavy and stagnant.

The horizon line is centered in this photograph, breaking the image into 2 distinct halves.

Moving the horizon line, isolates and places more emphasis on the rock.