Front and Center: Breaking the Rule of Thirds

Text and photos by Heather Cline 

GiraffeTanzania Giraffe face, Tanzania

One of the more popular compositional rules of photography is to place the subject off center, typical breaking everything into thirds. It is a good rule to follow as you are learning how to properly compose images but rules are made to be broken too! 

In this article, I will discuss when to break this rule while continuing to create compelling images.  

What is the Rule of Thirds

The idea behind the rule of thirds is to break the image into thirds, horizontally and vertically, so there are nine parts. The theory is that if you place points of interest in the intersections or along the lines, your photo will be more balanced. When viewing images, peoples eyes naturally go to one of the intersection points, making this compositional rule a reliable option if you want to make the image more pleasing to the viewer. 

Peter Iredale Shipwreck with the "Rule Of Thirds" grid overlay

When To Choose A Center Composition

• When there is nothing else competing for attention. If the subject has negative space around it or there are no other strong elements competing for attention, a center placement might be your best bet. 

• When the subject is symmetrical. Many subjects in nature are symmetrical and this lends itself to a great center focused image. These types of images look very intentional and can be even stronger than an off centered focus. These are also great photos to crop to a 1:1 ratio as it makes the symmetry even stronger. 

CougarSandstone, Minnesota

• To draw the viewers eye into a scene. When looking down a "line" in nature, such as a road, pier, river, or doorway, a center placement can create a strong leading line to draw the viewers eye into the scene and be a very effective compositional tool. 

• To create a feeling of simplicity. Placing the subject in the center grounds it and creates a feeling of order. If this is the message you are trying to convey, this is your best option. This can be especially effective if the subject is large relative to the frame of the image.

The compositional rules for photography are wonderful tools when you are learning the craft and there are many reasons when you should follow these, but it is also good to know when to break them. With the advent of digital photography, we have the ability to try different things without the fear of running out of film so I advocate trying this out wen you are shooting because even if the results aren't as strong as you were hoping for - you will learn and grow from that experience - and be better off for it.