More
on "Center is not better"
If
you've ever played Tic-tac-toe you probably remember that the
center square is a valuable spot. In photography the opposite
is often the case. Take a look at those two photos of the limbo
dance.
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If we drew a Tic-Tac-Toe diagram on the shots they would look
like this.
The
diagram represents one of the most famous of all photography composition
principals, called the Rule of Thirds.
Two
things you will find very quickly. First, it's not a hard and
fast rule — second, it's not always about thirds. One interpretation
of the rule is that the optimum spot for the subject of your photo
should be at the point where those lines intersect (I turned those
into "spots" in my illustration).
This
gives you four possible "sweet spots" on every photo.
As
you can see you don't always have to be directly on the intersecting
points. The man's face is close but not exactly on the spot.
The
Rule of Thirds has one very key ingredient. It basically says
center is not always better. For an exercise, shoot your next
roll of film (or CF card) with just one rule in mind. Avoid dead
center.
Give
it a try, but make sure you understand your camera's ability to
lock focus. Most current film and digital cameras will allow you
to focus in on your subject, partially depress the shutter to
lock, and then shift your viewing angle before taking the picture.
This exercise will help you harness that power, and you'll start
seeing photo potential with a whole new eye towards composition.
Did
you notice that second shot above also uses all four of the other
tricks?
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