Break the Rule of Thirds, Go Directly to Jail, Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200

Don’t you break the rule of thirds. Don’t you dare. The art police are on standby. The neighborhood art watch are on high alert. I hear art jail has some new vacancies.

*sigh*

What am I saying? You’re an artist. Of course, you’re going to break it.

Well, if you’re going to break the rule of thirds, you might as well break it in style.

To do that, it helps to know a bit about what it is and exactly why it is a “rule.” (and then we’ll go into how you can deviate from it. In style of course!)

What is the Rule of Thirds??

The rule of thirds is one of the forays into the world of good composition.

Here’s how it works.

Break down your image into thirds, horizontally and vertically, like so:

The orange lines here? That’s where the magic happens.

Place points of interest along these lines and voila! your picture will look aesthetic. (according to the rule of thirds)

(Japanese macaque proving the rule of thirds is not just monkey business. By positioning the macaque to the left of center, the viewer is given additional context into what is going on in the hot spring. Photo by @jonathanforage)

(Positioning horizons along one of the horizontal lines can help create a balanced yet interesting composition. Photo by @ocvisual)

(The rule of thirds in full effect here. See if you can spot all the coincidences here. Photo by @seventeen10)

Some say these points are where the eye will naturally gravitate towards. Others say it helps create balance and movement. One thing’s for sure, the rule of thirds helps many people begin composing images that are off-center.

But is it Reallllllly a Rule?

Legendary artworks have been composed without the rule of thirds in mind. (hello Mona Lisa!)

So when they say “rule,” think “rule of thumb.”

It is by no means required for a good composition.

In fact, blindly following the rule of thirds can lead to bland, and sometimes even bad, compositions.

Compare the two photos below.

Photo by Mae Mu

On the left is the original. On the right is one I altered to align with the rule of thirds.

By aligning the cherry with the rule of thirds, the image becomes unbalanced. The top left becomes dead space and the right becomes too heavy—the rule of thirds gone wrong.

So you’ve seen how mindlessly applying the rule of thirds can go wrong.

How can we go about mindfully breaking the rule of thirds to achieve fantastic results?

Deviating from the Rule of Thirds

When your subject is interesting enough to sit center frame (especially when there’s nothing in the background to balance it out)

Photo by Trevor Cole

Portraits are often shot center frame for this very reason.

Photo by Albert Dera

Center composition can be used to show isolation

Photo by Blake Cheek

Placing your subject matter in the center gives a sense of stability

Photo by Alex Lanting

This can be very interesting when done with purpose. Here, the central composition makes the falling shoes feel like they’re levitating.

Emphasize symmetry

Like this photo by Jose Llamas

Placing your subject all the way to the edge can help create tension

When your foreground/background is equally interesting

Photo by Luke Stackpoole

When your foreground or background is more interesting, don’t be afraid to give it more real estate

Photo by Ivana Cajina

Photo by Spencer Watson

A centered horizon looks amazing when there are reflections

Photo by Simon Shim

Reflections create enough detail so the foreground is balanced with what’s going on in the background.

To create visual effect

Photo by Olivier Miche

In this photo, the centered horizon accentuates the contrast between the black trees and grey clouds for a stunning aesthetic.

Conclusion

Ok, so maybe the art police aren’t going to get you and maybe you aren’t going to art jail for breaking the rule of thirds.

But that doesn’t mean the rule of thirds isn’t important—sometimes. Use the rule of thirds when it can help create balance, movement, or provide additional context to the scene.

Learn why it works. Then when you do break it, you can break it in spectacular fashion.

(How you look like breaking the rule of thirds when you actually understand it)

Great ways to break the rule of thirds include:

• When your subject is interesting enough to sit center frame (especially when there’s nothing in the background to balance it out)
• Center composition can be used to show isolation
• Placing your subject matter in the center gives a sense of stability
• Emphasize symmetry
• Placing your subject all the way to the edge can help create tension
• When your foreground/background is equally interesting
• When your foreground or background is more interesting, don’t be afraid to give it more real estate
• A centered horizon looks amazing when there are reflections
• To create visual effect

Hope this helps you build better compositions. Do you have photos shot in the rule of thirds? Post them in the comment section below.