The Rule of Thirds.

Rule of Thirds Definition:

"In the rule of thirds, photos are divided into thirds with two imaginary lines vertically and two lines horizontally making three columns, three rows, and nine sections in the images. Important compositional elements and leading lines are placed on or near the imaginary lines and where the lines intersect."

I found these three examples of photographs from Urban Cities that each use the rule of thirds:

 

The main subject in this image is the tall building on the left that has been left in much sharper focus than the other buildings and it's other surroundings. It also looks like the photographer has used a long exposure to make the clouds above the building look like they're moving, which also makes the building stand out more. You can see on the grid that this image follows the rule of thirds because  the center of the front of the building follows the rule of thirds as it follows the first vertical line on the left, and because the bottom of the building is close to the bottom horizontal line. 

 

The main subject in this image is the sun setting in-between the two rows of tall buildings. You can clearly see that the rule of thirds has been used here because the sun is along the bottom horizontal line, and the is directly in the middle of the two vertical lines. Having the main subject so central and in-between other subjects (the buildings) makes you focus on exactly what the photographer wants you to focus on. 

 

In this image the main subject (the sky scraper) has been positioned more towards the left on the image rather than directly in the center, and left in focus where as the skyline in the background has been left slightly out of focus, which is done to draw your attention directly to the building in the foreground. 

My own images using the rule of thirds:

 

The main focal point in this image is the tower on the right which has been left in sharp focus, compared to the Blue part of the building in the foreground which has been left out of focus. I like the way that the dark colours of the main focal point stand out so well against the the lighter colours of the sky behind it, which makes it stand out more. I used a high contrast in this image to help show more colours and details throughout the image. The rule of thirds applies to this image, as the main focal point in only on the right hand side of the grid. 

 

The main subject in this image is the open door way that has been broken into, in the centre of the image. The amount of natural light in this image allows you to see plenty of detail in the brick work and rubble surrounding door way. The high contrast in this image allows you to see the vibrancy and variation in colour on the faded brickwork of the building, but still keeps the doorway and the inside of the building looking dark and mysterious, which creates a negative mood. The rule of thirds applies to this image, as the main focal point (the open doorway) is in the very centre of the image. 

 

The main subject in this image is the pay phone attached to the wall. I decided to make this particular image Black and White and use a high contrast so that you can clearly see a variation in tones and a lot of detail on the wall that the pay phone is attached to. The rule of thirds apply to this image as the main focus point is horizontally central, but is also more towards the right hand side of the image, which creates a more interesting composition.

 

The main focal point of this photo is the old-fashioned lamp on the side of the building. I like how the natural light in this image allows you to see the high contrast between the Black Lamp, and the White Wall which it's attached to, as it helps the main focal point to stand out more. It can be argued that the rule of thirds does apply to this image, as i tried to ensure that the lamp would be along the vertical line on the right hand side of the grid, however when I later placed a 3x3 grid over the image, I now think that i left the main focal point too central. 

  

I think that this image was a success as I was able to keep the main focal point (the statue of a head) very central. The high exposure has meant that you can't see any colour in the sky behind the statue, which creates a high contrast and helps it stand out more. However, I think I have over exposed the whole image, as it is difficult to see any detail and some of the colours look faded and less vibrant than they should. 

  

The main focal point of this photo is the building along the right hand side. The rule of thirds can easily be applied to this image, as the main subject is on the right hand side of the image, and as you can see from the grid, the tallest part of the building is along the vertical line o the right hand side. There is a high contrast in this image between the bright vibrant colours of the brick work of the building on the right, and the darker colours of the trees and street light on the left. I also like the contrast between the main focal point and the sky in the background, as it helps is stand out more.

 

I don't think that this particular image was as successful as the other photos I took as it isn't very well exposed and isn't very well focused. However, the rule of thirds could be applied to this photo, as the negative space created by the dull sky in between the two buildings is in the centre of the image. 

  

This image works really well, as the main focal point is the only subject is the building, so there are no other distractions within the image to draw your attention away from it. The negative space around the building has been created by an over exposed sky on a dull and cloudy day. The rule of thirds can easily applied to this image as the corner of the building is in the centre of the image. 

  

Although this image is very dark I believe it was successful because the rule of thirds does apply. The main focal point in this image is the tall building being illuminated by spot lights. When a 3x3 grid is placed over this image you can see that the tallest tower of the building is directly along the vertical line on the left hand side. I also like the way that the centre of the building in the centre of the image is lit up so well. 

The main focal point of this final image is the large ship with the red crane attached. Unfortunately the quality of this image isn't very high, as I was unable to use my camera and had to take it on my mobile phone. However, I do like the lighting in this image, as there is a large amount of natural light which allows you too see the main subject clearly. The rule of thirds can be applied to this image as the red horizontal framework runs across the top section of the image.