Lesson #1: Rule of Thirds--WrapUp

Congratulations on completing the first lesson of Shutter School!

This past week and a half, we each experimented with the Rule of Thirds. It took a bit of practice, but I think that most of us would agree that by following the "rule" (whether you are cropping your photos as you snap the picture or after the fact with PhotoShop), most of our photos ended up even more spectacular!

Here's a sample of the photos we snapped this week:

From ljam.

From Rob of Jana and Rob.

From SherrieP.

From Jana of Jana and Rob.

Keep shooting! Keep practicing the Rule of Thirds! And keep uploading to our Flickr group.
The next lesson will be up on Wednesday--look for it!!

Shutter School Flickr Site

I've been practicing the "Rule of Thirds" a lot lately. It really helped to begin with that lesson, because instantly some of my pictures look better. That's definitely motivation to learn more! Now that I know about the rule, it seems like I'm looking at everything I see in a new way. "How would that look over to the side a bit?" or "Wow, that road divides everything in thirds just perfectly". Am I the only one doing that??? Possibly. But, go on over to our Flickr site and check out some of the photos that have been uploaded dealing with the Rule of Thirds. And if you've taken a few shots, be sure to add them. Here's a photo I recently took while trying out the "Rule". Next time I would try to put that top "grass line" a bit closer to the top and Emmi a little bit further to the left, but at least it's more interesting than having her "dead center". Anyone else have suggestions for improving it? You can add your comments for each photo on the Shutter School Flickr Site.

Lesson #1: Rule of Thirds--due June 21st

Move it from the Middle!

• The goal of the Rule of Thirds is to create a photograph which is interesting and captures the viewer's attention.
• The Rule of Thirds enhances the impression of action.
• Divide the image into thirds, both horizontally and vertically; then crop your photo so that the main subjects are located around one of the intersection points rather than in the center of the image
• Placing the horizon at the top 1/3 or bottom 1/3, then tells the viewer that this is a sky or land shot without having them to guess.
• Some cameras have an option to show the Rule of Thirds grid lines on the viewfinder/screen.
• Remember, sometimes rules are meant to be broken!

Examples:

From linda*kenney.

From Photofiend of San Diego Photo Forum.

From ♥ Susan ♥.

Other Resources:

• "Rule of Thirds" by Darren Rowse.
• "The Rule of Thirds in Photography" by Liz Masoner.
• "Rule of Thirds" by Trish Dykes.
• "Erica on the Rule of Thirds" by Erica.
• "Learning Composition: The Rule of Thirds" by John Watson.

This will be our first challenge. Get out your camera and snap away. As you look through the lens, try to practice the rule of thirds. You can experiment with placing the subject in different thirds to produce different effects. Post a few of your favorite photos on the Shutter School Flickr group by June 21.

Be sure to let us know that you're playing along by leaving a comment telling us your name, where you're from, and your three favorite foods!