Rule of Thirds in Photography: The Complete Guide

The rule of thirds is a proven composition technique for producing photos that are visually appealing and dynamic. It is a simple principle that is easy for beginners to understand and start to use in their photography to quickly get better results.

This beginner’s guide to the rule of thirds explains the rule, its benefits and its application. Tips for using the rule in general photography and in specific genres of photography are included along with a discussion of when it's best to break the rule.

What Is the Rule of Thirds in Photography?

The rule of thirds in photography is a fundamental principle of composition used to arrange subjects and other elements within the shot. In the rule of thirds, the photographer visualizes a grid within the frame. Many cameras also have a grid function which superimposes a grid into the view.

The gridlines: The rule of thirds grid divides the frame both horizontally and vertically into thirds, creating nine rectangular spaces and four points of intersection.

Photo composition: These points where horizontal and vertical lines intersect are considered prime locations for positioning elements within the shot. When using the rule, the main object or objects will not be neatly centered in the shot. Elements that are centered tend to lack energy and dynamism, and as a result, the photo may lose the viewer’s interest. Off center subjects exude energy and movement.

Visual appeal: The human eye tends to seek points of intersection between horizontal and vertical elements of an image. As a result, the rule of thirds produces better engagement with the elements of the photograph.  

This rule of composition in photography is a guideline, a default technique, rather than a strict rule to always follow. As Ansel Adams famously said, "There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs." However, many of Adams’ famous pictures demonstrate that he used this rule to create masterpiece photographs.

Ansel Adames took the photo above in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Note how the two groups of trees in the foreground, right and left, are positioned on what would be the vertical lines of the grid. The highest peak is on the right line, and the snowy ridge below the peaks runs along the upper horizontal line. This is the rule of thirds displayed to perfection.

Why the Rule of Thirds Is an important Composition Technique

There are many benefits to using the rule of thirds in your composition. It is important for the following reasons:

• Ease of understanding and use:When the rule of thirds is explained, beginning photographers understand it right away and can put it to good use in composing better pictures. The grid overlay on some cameras simplifies the use of the rule of thirds to capture vertical and horizontal elements and intersection points. However, even if your camera has an overlay, it is good practice to photograph without it, getting used to mentally dividing the shot into horizontal and vertical thirds.
• Better composition:The rule of thirds produces images showing what’s been called off-center composition. The result is a picture with dynamic balance, energy and creative asymmetry. This is more intriguing composition than centering the main subject. However, even in an asymmetrical shot, you should strive to have visual balance between greater and lesser elements or positive (filled) and negative (empty) space.
• A combination of positive space and negative space:This is another point of balanced composition. Positive space is filled with the subject and other objects in the shot. Negative space is empty space – sky, shadow, smooth water, etc. It is used for framing the subject and drawing the viewer’s eye to it.
• Increased viewer engagement:An off-center focal point, where the eye is drawn to, is dynamic rather than static, and it puts the focus on intersection points, which the human eye naturally looks for. The result is a picture that makes more of a statement than one with a dead-center main subject.
• It works for all photography types:The rule creates interest in a landscape photo, implies movement in street photography, sports photography, and wildlife photography. It is even used in portrait photography to draw the viewer to the face of the subject or to create intrigue with the rule of space – when the subject is looking somewhere off camera.
• Flexibility:The rule of thirds isn’t an absolute for every shot. It is a guide. Use it when it gives you a better picture, and experiment with moving the subject around the grid to get the right shot for your purposes.

What is the Grid Layout in the Rule of Thirds?

The rule of thirds grid is formed by two vertical lines visualized one third and two thirds of the way across the frame and by two horizontal lines one third from the top of the frame and one third from the bottom of the frame.

The grid layout produces 4 intersection points. When framing a composition using the rule of thirds, main and secondary subjects in visual hierarchy in the shot are placed along the lines and at intersection points rather than centering one subject in the frame.

As a result, the image will display asymmetry, which gives a sense of energy and movement. Asymmetry also allows for the balance of main and secondary elements or positive space taken up by the subject and negative space that frames or highlights the subject.

Nine Tips for How to Use the Rule of Thirds When Taking Pictures

These tips for using the rule of thirds will help you make the best use of this foundational photography principle.

• Mentally divide your frame:Even if your camera has a grid overlay, get used to mentally dividing the frame into nine sections with two horizontal and two vertical lines spaced at thirds.
• Activate the grid overlay, if your camera has one:Your camera, and your phone, may have a grid option. Find it in the menu, and select it to have the gridlines superimposed on the frame. This makes it very easy to place your subject and other elements at intersection points and along the horizontal and vertical lines.
• Place subjects at intersection points and along lines, not in the center:This is the heart of the rule of thirds – these focal points are where the eye is naturally drawn. Pro photographer Daxton Butler shares the value of the grid when he says, “The gridlines and intersections created by the Rule of Thirds act as natural leading lines that draw the viewer's eye into the image, guiding them through the scene.” Use the intersections and lines to create visual appeal and a sense of movement to best tell the story you are capturing.
• Compose the picture in various ways:Ansel Adams said, “You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” Compose the picture in multiple ways, with subject along different lines and at intersections, to see how “making” the photograph in various ways changes the story it tells.
• Place natural horizontal and vertical lines along the grid lines:If you’re shooting a horizon at sunset, compose the picture to have the horizon along the top horizontal line. Align tall buildings, trees, and similar upright subjects along the vertical lines. This off-center composition gives the shot a dynamic flow and balance.
• Give the subject space to look or move into:When a face is turned to the side or a person or animal is moving, place them so that most of the shot is in front of them. This allows the viewer to see what the subject sees or where they are going.
• Balance main and secondary subjects by placing them along gridlines:When possible, this composition technique will produce a picture with balanced visual weight, an appealing feature of any photo. You may have to zoom in or out or move your position to achieve this balance in the image.
• Don’t be overly rigid in its use:Remember that the rule of thirds is a guideline, but it doesn't have to dictate how you compose every shot. Don’t be afraid to break the rule, experimenting with other compositional techniques and your own creativity. Ansel Adams said, "Photography for me is not looking, it's feeling." If the rule of thirds doesn’t “feel” right for a shot, go with your gut feeling and shoot it the way it makes sense to you.
• Use the rule in post-processing:Post-processing is where you can crop, straighten the horizon and make other adjustments that impose the rule of thirds onto any image. Shoot in RAW for the most flexibility in post-processing. Photographer Cole Thompson shares his holistic approach to a perfect picture, stating, “A great image is comprised of 1/3 vision, 1/3 the shot and 1/3 processing.”

As you practice the rule of thirds and other compositional techniques and rules, they will begin to feel natural. That’s why famous photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson said, “Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph, is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk.” Once you are completely familiar with them, you don’t have to think about them as much – they are second nature.

Image from Shutterstock

Practicing the Rule of Thirds

Practicing the rule of thirds gives you experience and sharpens your skills in using this foundational photography technique.

Repetition is where it starts. Practice by taking a series of pictures, perhaps 10 to 20, of the same subject. Pose the subject at different points along the horizontal and vertical lines of the grid and at the points of intersection. Practice visual hierarchy, which is balancing main subjects with secondary subjects to create positive space and negative space. Try changing perspective to adjust the framing of elements in the background, midground and foreground.

For comparison, take a few pictures of the subject directly in the middle of the shot. You’ll likely notice that the shots employing the rule of thirds are more interesting and seem to have more energy. This will give you a feel for how the rule affects how the viewer engages with the image.

Take a field trip that focuses on one photography genre such as landscape, wildlife, or street photography. Take pictures of many different subjects, from various angles and a different point of view, from several sides and elevations. Use the rule in your shots, and then review the images later to evaluate the impact of the rule of thirds on the images.

Finally, take your best pictures from the day, and use post-processing tools to enhance the rule in those images. Effective tools include grid overlay, cropping, straightening and zoom. Try post-processing some of the photos in which the subject is at the center of the shot. Use the tools to move the subject to one of the intersection points, and see how the image and your engagement with it changes.

How to Find and Use the Grid Overlay on Your Camera

If your digital camera has a grid overlay, here is where to find it and use it.

Go to the menu using the menu or settings button, typically on the back of the camera body. Select settings called display or viewfinder. There, you’ll find the option for the overlay, which might be termed grid, gridlines or rule of thirds. Select the option, and the grid should appear in the viewfinder.

Image from Shutterstock

To use the grid overlay, look through the viewfinder, moving the camera until the subject you want to photograph is on one of the lines or at an intersection point. Experiment composing shots with the elements at various points of the grid to see how perspective and results change as you do.

The Rule of Thirds in Different Types of Photography

The rule of thirds can be applied to all types or genres of photography.

Landscape photography: Align the horizon with the top or bottom horizontal line of the grid depending on whether you want to emphasize what is above, like sky, or below, like a valley or meadow. You can also position something like a road or river along one of the lines to create a leading line that draws the eye through the landscape. Feature prominent elements like a hilltop or peak, trees or a waterfall at intersection points. Compose the shot to balance elements or positive and negative space.

Portrait photography: The best practice is to align the portrait subject’s eyes with the top horizontal line at one of the intersection points. The person’s body should align with one of the vertical grid lines. Experiment composing the subject on either side of the frame. If the purpose of the portrait is a headshot, you may choose to center the subject, though aligning their eyes with the top line is best.

Street photography: The same general rules apply to street photography – compose the shot with your main subject or elements along the vertical lines dividing the frame into thirds. These elements are often moving and include individuals or groups, vehicles, buildings or other structures. Placing them at intersection points captures the sense of movement and energy. Streets, sidewalks and similar features make good leading lines along the gridlines too. Balance background and foreground elements using the rule of thirds for good spacing. When possible, also employ negative space like sky or shadow for balance and contrast. Employ a natural frame when possible such as doors, arches or tree branches. Using the rule of thirds in post-processing street photography is especially useful.

Wildlife photography: Give your images a sense of action by placing your subject at intersection points of the grid and along the third lines, either horizontal or vertical, depending on the subject. Use natural lines like the horizon or a river as leading lines that move the viewer’s eye to the main emphasis of the shot. If the subject is fairly close, compose the shot with their eyes along the upper line or at an upper intersection, making the eyes the focal point. If the animal is looking to the side, position them on the opposite side – if they are looking left, for example, place them on the right horizontal line, so the viewer gets a sense of what it is looking at. This is known as the rule of space or leading space. The same is true for a bird in flight – leave space in front of it. Keep other rules in mind regarding balance of negative space, and foreground/balance elements that give the image depth.

Sports photography: The best practice is to place the main subject at one of the vertical third lines including one or both intersection points. If the eyes or face are readily seen, place them along the top line. If there is movement right or left, leave space in front of the athlete, etc., to convey a sense of where the action is headed. When there are two elements, space them at each vertical line – if three, try to space one in each third of the frame. In your framing, include balance and foreground elements for depth and perspective.

Travel and leisure photography: As you’d expect, place key elements like landmarks, architectural features, people and other focal points along the vertical grid lines using the intersections for key focal points. Make use of natural lines like roads, rivers and trails as leading lines along the grid lines, guiding the eye to the main focal points. Also place horizons, a skyline, water’s edge or along the appropriate horizontal line.

Balance the image side to side, and provide depth to the image with foreground and background elements, or you may want to isolate the foreground elements by employing blur or bokeh in the background.

Exceptions to Using the Rule of Thirds / When Not to Use the Rule of Thirds

There are exceptions to the rule of thirds of thirds because it is a guideline, not a dictate.

Portrait photography: In many portraits, centering the subject emphasizes their presence. This is true not just in headshots but can be a good technique for an upper body or full body shot. Ignore the rule of thirds when you want the subject to clearly be the center of attention.

Symmetry: When the scene offers natural symmetry, as when the left and right or upper and lower halves mirror one another, centering the main subject creates unity and harmony.

Image from Pexels

Patterns: Like symmetry, when a natural pattern presents itself, it is often best expressed in the center of the shot or filling the shot. Ripples on water, ridges on a dune or a line of tasseling field corn are examples.

For minimalism: There are times when you’ll want a clean, simple composition with few elements, and centering the subject will produce the look you want.

Macro Photography: Closeups are often best shot with the subject in the center.

Image from Pexels

Round objects: Circular objects are best placed in the center. If they are asymmetrically placed, a disharmonious sense of imbalance can result.

Leading line convergence: When the setting allows, having multiple leading lines converge on the subject in the middle can produce a powerful image. Try it both ways – with the subject off center and centered to see what creates the most visual appeal.

Framing with negative space: Placing the subject, or positive space, in the center surrounded by sky, water, shadow or other contrasting negative space also provides good balance to the shot.

Filling the frame: Getting a closeup of a face or action point in sports or street photography requires ignoring the rule.

Creative expression: As Adams said, good photographs are not necessarily the result of following a rule. Achieving artistic shots often requires ignoring conventional practices.

The Rule of Thirds in Post Processing and Editing

The most common use of the rule of thirds in post-processing is to crop the image so that the main subject is positioned for emphasis at an intersection point or along a vertical line. A grid overlay can be used in the process of recomposing the image in this way.

The photo can also be cropped to move the subject up or down in the photo for the same purpose. For example, re-composition in post-processing can move the placement of a street or horizon or river to run approximately along one of the horizontal lines.

Horizons can be straightened in post-processing too, improving the composition. Distracting elements in the foreground or balance can be cropped out of the image while repositioning the main subject.

Changing the aspect ratio can also serve to make better use of the rule of thirds in the photo. Adjusting a 4:3 ratio to a 16:9 ratio adds space that allows you to align subjects along the thirds of the frame.

1. Editing with the Rule of Thirds in Photoshop

Editing with the rule of thirds is easy in Photoshop. Open your image in the software. From the toolbar, select the crop tool, or use the shortcut C.

Image from Photoshopsupply

Opening the crop tool should cause the rule of thirds grid overlay to be imposed on your image. If not, select it from the options bar at the top. Use the grid to align your subject on the preferred line or intersection.

Use the crop box to crop the image. This is done by dragging one of the edges or corners to adjust the framing of the shot. If the horizon needs adjustment, the straighten tool can be used, though you may wish to leave a tilted horizon for visual interest. Once the composition is what you want, hit enter to save the crop. Fine tuning can be done with the move tool, shortcut V, to adjust the position of elements within that layer.

2. Editing with the Rule of Thirds in Lightroom

In Lightroom, use the rule of thirds with these steps.

Image from Community.adobe

Import your photo to Lightroom. Open the develop module after selecting the image you are going to adjust. Open the crop overlay tool from the Histogram to have the grid imposed on the image. The shortcut is R. Using the crop box edges and corners, adjust the picture to reposition it according to the rule of thirds.

Finally, straighten the image if needed. And commit to the crop by hitting enter/return.

3. Editing with the Rule of Thirds in GIMP

You can edit using the rule of thirds in GIMP by importing the image to edit into GIMP. Select the image at File > Open.

Select the crop tool, and the grid overlay should be imposed onto the image. Select “highlight,” and open the rule of thirds from the menu of the tool options.

Drag the edges or corners to crop the image to better fit the rule, with key elements along the third lines at intersections. When the image is properly adjusted according to your vision for it, hit enter to save the crop.

4. Editing with the Rule of Thirds in Affinity Photo

Editing with the rule of thirds in Affinity Photo is similar to Photoshop and other software.

Image from Forum.affinity.serif

Open the software, and import your image using File > Open. Select the crop tool from the menu at the left, and open the rule of thirds overlay.

Using the crop box, pull in edges or corners to reposition the main subject or elements within the frame. When you are happy with the adjustments, hit enter to save the edit. You may also want to use the straighten tool within the crop tool to adjust key lines within the frame.

5. Editing with the Rule of Thirds in Capture One

Edit images in Capture One using the rule of thirds with these steps.

Image from Support.captureone

Open the software, and import the image to edit. This is done at File > Import Images. Open the crop tool on the left; you can use the shortcut C. Open the grid overlay by selecting the grid icon if it doesn’t open automatically.

Drag the corners or edges of the crop box to position your subject within the frame along third lines or at an intersection. You can also straighten key lines using the straighten tool. Sometimes trial and error is needed to get the crop or straighten correct. Commit to the crop edit by selecting enter.

The Golden Ratio Vs the Rule of Thirds

The rule of thirds and the golden ratio are compositional principles long used in photography and other visual arts. Their purpose is to create aesthetically appealing images with excellent balance.

The golden ratio is a math ratio of 1.618:1, derived from the Fibonacci sequence in which each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers. The golden ratio is applied using the golden spiral, a spiral expanding from the center that fits the structure of many elements in nature. The spiral guides the eye of the viewer across and around the image.

Here are key comparisons.

The golden ratio and rule of thirds are similar in purpose – to create balance in the composition that feels natural and moves the eye through the scene. Both are guidelines, not dictates, and photographers use or ignore them depending on their vision for each shot.

Both can be visualized with an overlay in the frame.

There are essential differences in the golden ratio and the rule of thirds too.

The rule of thirds is simpler to use and more accessible than the golden ratio, especially to novice photographers. By comparison, the golden ratio is more complex and requires more experience to properly employ.  

Many newer camera models have a rule of thirds grid overlay. Only a few high-end cameras have the golden spiral overlay. These include the Olympus OM-D Series, Fujifilm X-Series, Sony Alpha Series, Canon EOS R Series and Nikon Z Series.

Finally, the golden ratio or spiral is more versatile. When properly understood, it can be used to create energetic, natural compositions. In contrast, the rule of thirds is more rigid.