How to take a beautiful photo – The rule of thirds

It’s not difficult to take a good photo, per se. As with many things, taking a good photo is 80% practice and only 20% talent. There are some basic rules that can help you, however, especially in the beginning. But remember, some rules are meant to be broken. So, don’t be too strict and try to experiment.

• The rule of thirds: A helpful rule is the rule of thirds. When using the rule of thirds, you break the photo into thirds, both horizontally and vertically. Altogether into nine parts. Sometimes digital cameras have a grid you can use to follow the rule of thirds, when using different cameras, you can try to imagine the grid.

How to use the rule of thirds? To use the rule of thirds, look at the scene and imagine the grid. The points where the lines cross is where the eye naturally falls when you look at the picture. Therefore, you can use these points as well as the lines as orientation for the most important parts of the pictures. It often looks good to put the interesting object slightly off center.

Example 1: Photographing a landscape

To photograph a landscape, try to align the horizon with the horizontal lines of the grid and you will see that the picture looks harmonious.

Example 2: Taking a portrait

Try to take portraits with the lines going vertically through the eyes.

Example 3: Taking a photo of a building

To take a picture of a house, use the points where the lines cross as pinpoints for the most interesting parts of the building. The vertical lines are helpful, too. For example, try to align the rainwater gutter with one of the vertical lines.