Composition & Rule of Thirds

Composition
placement or arrangement of visual elements in art
organization of the elements of art according to the principles of design
means 'putting together' and can apply to any work
helps achieve a sense of unity within an artwork
work of art is said to be aesthetically pleasing if the elements within the work are arranged in a balanced compositional way

Good vs. Bad?
biggest difference between a good photograph and a mediocre one is the composition
what one person finds pleasing, someone else will not – composition is largely a matter of personal taste, so technically there is no right or wrong composition…

Good vs. Bad?
a photograph that communicates its message (says what you want it to say, says it clearly, and interests its viewer) – is an effective composition
how you arrange a scene in your camera will determine the effectiveness of your picture and contribute to how well the message is conveyed
there is more to good composition than the placement of elements, but that is where we’re going to start

In every photograph you take…
you decide where the boundaries of that photo will be (cropping)
you choose the viewpoint or perspective
you move or rearrange people or objects
you move yourself and decide where to place point of interest

Rule of Thirds
Compositional rule in the visual arts
image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines
important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections
aligning a subject with these points creates more tension, energy and interest in the composition than simply centering the subject would

Rule of Thirds Examples

Consider…
What are the points of interest in this shot?
Breaking the rule can result in some striking shots… once you’ve learned it, experiment with purposely breaking it to see what you discover.
Keep the rule of thirds in mind as you edit your photos later on… cropping and reframing images so that they fit within the rules.
Where am I intentionally placing my points of interest?

Practice
3. Get a ruler and measurethe sides and divide by 3, drawing lines with a marker to create a 9 square grid.
2. Find 3 pictures that the composition uses the Rule of Thirds successfully.
1. Choose a magazine to find photographs you might like.
Sketchbook DUE:
Finish your Rule of Thirds Sketchbook assignment by the end of class!
** Worth 10 points **
5. Tape, glue or staple your images into your sketchbook.
4. Repeat this for all 3 images.

Practice
Homework:
40 image contact sheet experimenting with Rule of Thirds… take pictures of anything you’d like.
Contact Sheet DUE:
Tuesday, February 8th
Tips:
Try taking pictures of the same subject and compose using the Rule of Thirds and going against it.

http://pinterest.com	162
http://vshphotography.blogspot.com	18
https://ferris.blackboard.com	6
https://fsulearn.ferris.edu	5

Composition & Rule of Thirds

by Mrs. Shawn Duckworth

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