Taking the Shot COMPOSITION

As soon as you apply the rule of thirds to this photo, the geometry becomes clear. The primary tent in the foreground is centered near the bottom left intersection of “thirds,” the mountain in the distance is centered on the upper left intersection, and the tent in the background is near the bottom right intersection. Furthermore, the right column contains all of the background elements (the other tent, some snow, a less important part of the mountain range, etc.), whereas the left two columns contain the important foreground elements. The important thing is that the photographer is using the lines and intersections to organize the composition of the photo.

Let’s try another example. Here we have a portrait-oriented photo of monarchs in their overwintering grounds in Mexico. In this photo there are two primary elements: monarchs puddling on the ground and monarchs flying around bushes and through the air. By getting low to the ground, it creates a very evocative scene where one feels as if they are among the butterflies.

If we were to overlay the rule of thirds grid, we quickly see how the composition of the photo is aligned to the grid rather closely. The upper third of the grid is reserved for the bushes and sky, while the lower two thirds of the grid contains the monarchs on the ground. Because the