Rule of Thirds
A guideline that divides the frame into nine equal parts and suggests placing key elements along those lines or at their intersections.
Formula / rule
Frame ÷ 3 horizontally and vertically
In depth
The rule works because off-centre placement leaves room for the subject to relate to something else in the frame, producing a picture about a relationship rather than about an object. It is a simplification of older proportional systems and should be treated as a starting position rather than a target — many strong photographs are dead centre or right at an edge.
Examples in practice
Placing a lone tree at a lower-left intersection and the horizon along the upper third gives the sky two-thirds of the frame.