Initial focus of attention

[Deb London]

Thanks both.

[Deb London]

Originally Posted by Durrell

Try the link below which offers a number of pointers along with the rule of thirds and the golden ratio mentioned above.

How To Paint: Subject and Composition | vince's ear

I've been studying the cat example. It's interesting, especially the perceived differences when all the author did was flip the image horizontally.

Amazing.

[Ukwildlifeo]

I sometimes use the rule of 'centred thirds' which is like the rule of thirds but the lines of the ' thirds'biased slightly towards the centre.

[animartco]

Look it up under laws of aesthetics. It is taught in art schools. I think if I remember rightly, if you imagine cross hairs on a sheet of paper it would be in the upper right segment, only there is an exact pinpoint which is too complicated for me to recall. And I think it can be moved according to how you fill the rest of the space.

[RobSutton]

Originally Posted by Geoff F

Here are a couple of examples, Deb.

The first one is cropped by working slavishly to the Rule of Thirds without allowing any variation for the actual scene. The fly's eye falls strictly on the intersection of the lower and left side thirds lines.

The second one is how I would ignore the rules and crop to fit the scene.



This, I hope, will demonstrate the principles more fully.

With the second image, I have allowed for a bit of off centering but have just worked by what appears to me to make a good balance.

Rules are meant to be broken; well the stupid rules anyway!

So yes, do look around at various photos/paintings and see what appears to visually work for you.

I've always taken the rule of thirds as being that any of the four possible intersections are good locations for the thing you which to make the focus of attention rather than just the lower left hand one (and the horizontals good locations for horizons etc).

I've taken the liberty of adding thirds on Geoff's shot and his second image isn't far from fitting in with my version of the rule of thirds - which is why I thinks it works compositionally. The eye is close to the top right intersection and indeed the tip of the wing close to the bottom left with the margin of the wing making a strong diagonal linking the two points. Perhaps just shifting a little to the right in the frame might have made it an even stronger image but the bottom left hand corner might have seemed slightly empty? The other thing to consider with animal is having "room" for the subject to move into or look into in which case Geoff's second image is spot on it sort of fits the rule of thirds and still has the required space to the right of the subject.



I think I would have cropped/composed it with the eye just a little further to the right and a tad lower down.

[momji1971]

Was just gonna post the same thing. Think Geoff has a natural eye! Almost bang on

Regards.
Stu.

[Geoff F]

But with 'real life' photography there is often a few extra and unexpected/unwanted items to consider.

Things in the background, which 'shouldn't be there' is one of the commonest reasons for deciding where to crop. And in those circumstances, I always prefer to go by the general balance instead of worrying too much about exact thirds.

Excessive amounts of out of focus or overexposed foreground are other reasons. You can usually get away with a bit more if it is in the background.

And, particularly with macro photography or flying birds etc, you often don't get any thinking time before shooting.

[wizzo]

Spot on Stu!