Transcripts
1. Mastering Composition: The Rule of Thirds: Have you ever wondered
why some photos instantly catch your eye
while others fall flat? The secret often lies
in one simple rule, the rule of thirds. And in this class, I'm going to show you exactly
how to master it. Hi. I'm Moldovto. I'm a professional photographer
and visual artist with over 20 years of professional
experience in photography, illustration, and TD art. I've taught thousands of students how to
elevate their skills. And today, I'm excited
to help you do the same. In this class, you'll
learn everything you need to know about
the rule of 30, a powerful composition tool
used across photography, film, painting, and digital art. This rule is key to
creating balanced, dynamic and engaging images that instantly draw
your viewers in. I'm really passionate about composition because it's
such a fundamental skill, yet so powerful that
mastering it will take your photography from
ordinary to extraordinary. Whether you are a beginner
picking up a camera for the first time or just looking to improve your
photography skills, this class is for you. If you're looking to improve your visual storytelling and
create more compelling work, you're in the right place. All you need is a camera or a smartphone and the
desire to learn. No prior experience with
composition is required. This class is broken
down into clear lessons. You'll start by learning the basics of the
rule of thirds, its core components,
and how to apply them. From there, we'll dive into
different photography genres, such as landscapes, portraits, macro product, and many more. You will learn how to use
the rule of thirds to create balanced compositions in
every visual art to practice. For the class project,
you will go out and take photos applying
the rule of thirds. Then share your
best chats with me, and I will provide you with
personalized feedback. By the end of this class, you'll have the
knowledge to make more thoughtful
composition choices that will enhance your
photos and help you create a much stronger
visual impact. So let's jump in
and start making amazing eye catching art
together. See you in class.
2. Introduction: Hello, everyone, and welcome. In this class, you're
going to learn everything you need to know
about the rule of thirds. This essential composition rule applies to photography,
cinematography, painting, drawing,
through the animation, and really any visual art. Now, in this class,
I will mostly refer to photography and photos. But keep in mind that the
techniques you'll learn here will also apply to
any kind of visual art. So whether you are a
painter, illustrator, or animator, the
principles you'll learn here will help
you a lot as well. Now, I'm going to give you a quick overview of everything
we'll cover in this class. In the next lesson,
we will start with the basics of
the rule of thirds, exploring its main
components and how to use them to create
dynamic compositions. After that, you will learn
how to apply the rule of thirds specifically to
landscape photography. There are some unique
guidelines for landscapes, and I will walk you
through them step by step. Following that, we'll
explore how to compose landscapes that include people and other important elements, as they require slightly
different approaches than traditional landscapes. We will then dive into
full body portraits, learning which elements are key to framing these
types of shots. Next, we will move on
to half body portraits, followed by close up
portraits and explore the differences in composing each of these portrait styles. Then we will go into
applying the rule of thirds in various genres like
macro photography, pet photography, product
photography, and more. Each one of these genres has its own differences and
we'll cover them in detail. To finish, I will give you
a fin and easy assignment that will help you put your new composition
skills into action. As you can see, we have a
lot of ground to cover. So get ready and I will see
you in the next lesson.
3. The Rule of Thirds: The Basics: Hello class, and welcome back. In this lesson, we're going
to learn about the rule of thirds. Let's begin. The rule of thirds is one of the most popular
composition rules in photography and art. The main reason it
is so popular and so widely used is simply
because it works, and it helps us a lot to achieve really
beautiful compositions. The way it works is by dividing our frame using two
horizontal lines that are equally spaced, creating three equal parts. We have divided the
frame into thirds, and that's why it is
called the rule of thirds. So now we have the top
line and the bottom line. And the idea is to place the important elements of
the photo along those lines. So let's take a look
at this example. As you can see, the
main subject of this photo is this young lady, and the picture was framed, so the young lady is resting
along the bottom line. So this picture is following
the rule of thirds. Now, usually when people begin
their photography journey, they tend to place
the main subject at the very center of the
frame all the time. It's the natural thing to do, and there's nothing
wrong with that. But if you want to try
something different, you can use the rule of thirds, like in this example, and you're going to get
really nice results. Now let's take a look
at a different photo. This time we have a
very simple photo. The main elements of
this photo are the sky, the land, and of course, this nice couple
and their bicycle. This time, the main subjects
are the two people. If we divide the frame using the two horizontal
lines like before, we can see that this picture
also follows the rule of thirds because the main subjects are placed along
the bottom line. Now, with the rule of thirds, we can also create
two vertical lines. And this time the goal
is going to be to place the main subject along one
of those vertical lines. So let's take a look
at another photo. And this time, we
have a picture of a young lady wearing
a nice dress. We also have a blurred
out background of some buildings and a few people
who are also blurred out. But the main subject of this photo is the
lady in the dress. Now, if we turn on
the vertical lines, we can see that the
main subject is placed along the vertical
line on the right. So this picture also
follows the rule of thirds. Only this time we're using the vertical lines instead
of the horizontal lines. Now let's take a look at another example because
all of the examples we have seen so far are of pictures in landscape
orientation. But the rule of
thirds also applies to pictures in
portrait orientation. So this time, we have a very
nice black and white photo. As you can see, it is in
portrait orientation. And the main elements of
this picture are the sky, the buildings or houses, and the statue on the right. And of course, the
most important element in this picture is the statue. Now, if we turn on
the vertical lines, we can see that the statue is placed along the vertical
line on the right. So this picture also
follows the rule of thirds. As you can see, the rule of
thirds applies to pictures in both landscape and
portrait orientations. Now, there's another element
of the rule of thirds. So let's go back to
our frame graphic, and here we have the
two horizontal lines, and also the two vertical lines. Now, if we pay attention, we can see there are four places where
these lines intersect, and these places are
called power points. These points are
considered ideal for placing key elements
of a composition because they naturally
draw the viewer's eye and create a more balanced
and more dynamic image. We're going to use these
four points to place the most important
elements within our photo or the elements that
we want people to look at. And that's going to enhance
the visual interest and the overall impact
of our photograph. Let's take a look
at a few examples. Here we have this
beautiful sunset scene. And here, the most
important elements are the man and his dog. And this image looks okay. But we can make it better. So let's turn on the
rule of third grid. You can see that right now, the main elements aren't really on any of the
four power points. We're going to reframe
the photo and place the main elements right on
the bottom left power point. And let's high the grit. As you can see, now the photo looks much
better because now the main subjects
of this photo are on one of the four power points, and that makes for a
much better composition. So when you're taking
photos, you can frame them. The main subject or subjects are on one of the four power points. Your camera and also
your smartphone, in case you're using your
smartphone to take your photos, have an option to display
the rule of third grid. If you don't know how
to turn on this option, just Google how to turn on camera grid lines and add the name of your
camera or phone. And don't worry. The grid is just for reference when
taking your photos. It won't appear on the
photos themselves. Now, as I said earlier, the rule of thirds works on both landscape and
portrait orientation, and it also works on
any aspect ratio. So let's take a look
at a few examples. Here we have a panoramic photo with a two by one aspect ratio. And if we show the grid, you can see that this photo
follows the rule of thirds. We can see the cactus is sitting on the vertical
line on the left, and also we have the horizon across the
top horizontal line. So this photo follows
the rule of thirds. Now, if we take this
other photo with a one by one aspect ratio
and show the grid, we can see that this lady is sitting on the right
vertical line. So this photo also follows
the rule of thirds. So as you can see, we can
apply the rule of thirds to any aspect ratio and any
orientation we want. So those are the main components
of the rule of thirds. The two horizontal lines, the two vertical lines and
the four power points. And now you know how to use
those different elements. In the next lesson, I'm
going to teach you how to properly use the rule of thirds in very
specific situations, like when taking
full body portraits, when taking close up portraits, when taking landscape photos, and a few other
specific situations. So get ready and I'll see
you in the next lesson.
4. The Rule of Thirds Applied to Landscapes: Hello glass, and welcome back. In this lesson, we're going
to learn how to effectively apply the rule of thirds in different
photography scenarios. So let's begin. So let's start with landscapes. When using the rule of thirds
in landscape photography, it's recommended to
place the horizon along the top or the bottom
horizontal lines rather than in the center. So let's take a look
at this example. Here we have a nice landscape. And you can see that
the horizon line is currently at the very
center of the frame. And it looks okay, it's not bad, even though it looks a
little bit too static. So if we want to make this
picture more interesting, we can reframe it by adjusting the horizon to either the top or the bottom horizontal lines. That way, we can make the
picture more dynamic. Let's move the horizon
to the top line, and now this picture looks
a lot more interesting. Notice how the picture
now emphasizes the land, because now the land takes
two thirds of the frame, while the sky takes
only one third. This shift makes the image more engaging by highlighting
the land's features. Now, let's try moving the
horizon to the bottom line, and the photo still
looks very interesting. But this time, the sky
becomes the focal point, taking up two thirds
of the photo, while the land takes
only one third. This placement draws
more attention to the sky and less
attention to the land. So in order to decide where
to place the horizon, whether it's on the top or
the bottom horizontal line, you have to decide which part of the scene is more interesting
or more important, the land or the sky. If you have a scene with
a beautiful sky with really vibrant colors and
amazing cloud formations, you may want to give the sky two thirds of the
picture and give the land the remaining third because the sky is
more interesting. On the other hand, if the
land is more visually appealing with very interesting
elements and details, and the sky is
relatively simple, then you may want to place
the horizon on the top line, allowing the land to
dominate the scene. This time, the land is
going to take two thirds of the image and the sky is going
to take the other third. Now, let's take a quick
look at another example. Here we have a
beautiful landscape with the horizon at
the very center, and it looks nice. But let's try moving the
horizon to the top line. And now we are emphasizing the ocean and those
beautiful waves, and that makes for a
really interesting picture with more movement. If we now move the horizon
to the bottom line, we are now emphasizing the sky and those beautiful
cloud formations, and this photo is also
very interesting. And now let's take a look at
the three options together. Here you can decide which
one you like the most. The one with the
horizon at the center, the one with the
horizon at the top or the one with the
horizon at the bottom. There is no right
or wrong answer. Remember, these are only
suggestions, and in the end, you're the only
one who's going to decide how to compose your photo based on what you
want to emphasize and make the focal
point of your image. Now, I would like to clarify something before
finishing this lesson, so you don't get the wrong idea. It is that having the horizon at the center of the frame
isn't necessarily bad. It is actually one way in which we can compose
our pictures, and it is called
center composition. You're the only
one who's going to decide which you're
going to use, either center composition
or the rule of thirds. Now, in this video, I am focusing on the rule of thirds because that's
what we're learning. But center composition is
also a good and valid option. As you can see in
these two examples, these two pictures are
using center composition, and they look really nice. Now, as I said, you're
the one who's going to decide which option
you're going to use, and you're going to decide that based on your
personal preferences, and also on the
particular landscape that you're taking pictures of. Some landscapes are going to work better with
center composition, and others are going
to work better if we apply the rule of thirds. So remember, when using the rule of thirds on
landscape photography, we usually use the horizon line as the main element to consider, and we place it on either the top or the
bottom horizontal lines. And that's all for this lesson. I hope you learned
something useful, and I will see you
in the next lesson.
5. The Rule of Thirds Applied to Landscapes that Include People: Hello glass and welcome back. In this lesson, we're going to learn how to properly
use the rule of thirds on landscape photos that also have people in them. So let's start. In
the previous lesson, we covered the rule of thirds applied to
landscape photos. And as you remember, we used the horizon line as the main element to consider
when framing the photo. However, when
photographing a landscape that also has people
in the frame, the people usually become
the most important element. So if we want to use
the rule of thirds, we should focus on
the placement of the people rather
than the horizon. So let's take a look
at a quick example. And in this photo, although
the horizon is centered, de composition still
follows the rule of thirds because we're not taking the horizon into account
to frame the picture. Instead, we are taking the lady as our most
important element. And as you can see, she is standing on the
right vertical line. And more than that, her head is located at the top,
right power point. This photo is using the
rule of thirds very well. Even when the horizon is at
the center of the frame. Now, here we can
debate if this is still a landscape photo or if this is now a portrayed photo because now we have a
person in the frame. And it could be a
little bit of both. But let me show you
another example where the landscape
is more predominant, so you can see how
this rule applies to landscapes with
people in the frame. So here we have this
other landscape, this time with two
people in the frame, and this one is clearly
not a portrait. This one is clearly a landscape. And as you can see,
the main subjects are positioned at the
bottom right PowerPoint, which creates a well balanced and visually
appealing composition. And again, we're not taking the horizon line as the main element for
this composition. We are taking the two people
as our main subjects, and we're framing the shot, so they are on the
bottom right PowerPoint, and it works very
well for this photo. So let me show you
another quick example. This time, we have a landscape
in portrait orientation, and we're using the rule of
thirds to compose this image, and we're placing the person on the bottom left PowerPoint. And as you can see,
this composition works very well
for this picture. And the same concept
applies to animals. So let's take a look
at this other picture. Here we have this
beautiful landscape with really
interesting elements. But the element that dominates the scene is that
beautiful deer. Now, since the deer is the
main element of this photo, it only makes sense that we
frame the picture around him. If we turn on the
rule of thirds c, we can see that he is sitting at the bottom left PowerPoint, and that's what makes this
images composition so strong. If we place the
deer at the center, the image, at least
in my opinion, won't look that
powerful anymore, especially because
the deer's body is looking to the right. If the body is
looking to the right, we have to give some space on the right side
of the picture. So we can see where the
main subject is facing. And that's something
we're going to cover in more detail in
another lesson, where we will
discuss the rule of thirds applied to portraits. So don't worry about it. We're going to cover
that detail later on. I prefer having the deer on
the bottom left PowerPoint, and I love this image so much. Now, let's take a look at
another quick example. Here we have a nice landscape. And here, this sheep become the main subjects
of the picture. So we can use the rule
of thirds to place the sheep on the bottom
left PowerPoint, and that will create a
well composed picture. Now, as you s, this concept applies to humans and animals. But it also applies to any
other subject or object, as long as they are interesting
and visually appealing. So let me show you
a quick example. In this image, we have
a beautiful landscape. It's very minimalistic,
but also very beautiful. All we have here are
some small hills, the sky and a bunch of trees. And the trees become the most important elements of this photo because
they stand out, since there are
no other elements besides the sky and the hills. In a photo like
this, we can place the trees within one of
the four PowerPoints, and that will make for a really nice and
clean composition. Now, let's take a look
at this other example. It's a very similar photo, but in this case, we
have only one tree, and we placed it on the
top right PowerPoint, and that composition works
very well for this image. Now let's take a look
at this other example. In this case, we have a
black and white landscape, and we can immediately see that the main subject is the church, which is sitting on the
bottom right PowerPoint. As you can see, this
rule applies to people, animals, and objects, as long as they are
interesting and stand out. So remember, when we're taking pictures of a
landscape that has people animals or any other very interesting
subject or object. We can use that
subject or object as our main element and place it in one of the
four PowerPoints. When we do that, we
don't really care very much about the placement of the horizon because
the horizon is not the most important
element of the picture. And that's all for this lesson. I hope you liked it, and I
will see you in the next one.
6. The Rule of Thirds Applied to Full-Body Portraits: Hello class, and welcome back. In this lesson, we're
going to learn how to effectively apply the rule of thirds to full body portrait. So let's begin. When using the rule of
thirds for portraits, it's important to distinguish between full body and close up portraits as the rule
affects composition differently depending on
the type of portrait. Let's begin with
full body portraits. When you have a
full body portrait, instead of centering
your subject, align their body along one
of the vertical grid lines. This simple adjustment
can make your image more dynamic and allows
the background to enhance and
compliment your subject, particularly in outdoor or
environmental portraits. So let's take a look
at a few examples. In this photo, we have a beautiful portrait
of a young woman. If I turn on the grid, you'll notice that she's positioned along the
left vertical grid line, perfectly following
the rule of thirds. By placing her here, we allow the background
to complement the scene, creating a well balanced
and harmonious composition. Now, let's look at
another example. This image has a
different aspect ratio. But remember, the rule of thirds applies to any aspect ratio. Now, in this photo,
the gentleman is positioned along the
right vertical grid line. Once again, following
the rule of thirds, and the result is a visually balanced
and engaging portrait. Now, remember, and this
is very important. When applying the rule of
thirds to full body portraits, we focus on the
vertical grid lines, not the horizontal ones. Why? Because a standing body naturally forms a
vertical shape. By aligning this vertical shape with one of the two
vertical grid lines, we create a more balanced and visually appealing
composition. Let me show you another example. In this image, we have a woman
running through a field. Her body forms a
strong vertical shape, which we can align with the
left vertical grid lane. This simple placement results in a beautifully composed shut. So when the subject is standing, we will generally use
the vertical grid lines, which will be the case for most of your full
body portraits. However, if the person
is laying down, we will switch to the
horizontal grid lines instead. So let's take a look at
some quick examples. In these two images, our subjects are
laying on the grass. When we turn on the
rule of thirds grid, you'll see that we have used the horizontal lines
to compose the shots. This is because
their bodies create a horizontal shape
when laying down. Now, let's look at
two more examples. Here, the subjects
are also laying down. Again, we have used the
horizontal lines to create balance and
well composed photos. That's how you use
the rule of thirds on subjects that
are laying down. All right. Now, let's go
back to an important point. When our subject is
standing straight, we use the vertical
grid lanes to compose the photo as their body
forms a vertical shape. Similarly, when the
subject is laying down, we switch to the
horizontal grid lanes because their body creates
a horizontal shape. But what happens
if the subject is neither standing
nor laying flat? In this case, the body won't form a clear vertical
or horizontal line. So how do we compose the shad? While the grid lines can still work to make the
composition more powerful, we can use one of the
four power points. And usually we place
the head at one of the two upper power
points because the head often serves as the
focal point of the portrait, not all the time, but
most of the time. Let's see how this works
with a few examples. In this photo, this man is
sitting with his legs up, forming a triangular shape. In this scenario, placing
his head at the top, right power point creates a perfectly balanced and
dynamic composition, as you can see here. Now, look at this next image of a woman sitting on a couch. Again, her body forms
a triangular shape, and by placing her
head on the top, right power point, we achieve a strong and visually
appealing composition. Here's another example. The woman's body also
forms a triangular shape. So we have positioned her head on the top
left PowerPoint, resulting in a balanced
and engaging image. Now, in these examples, we have used the head
as the main element and positioned it at one
of the four power points. But why the head? Well, because in most portraits, the face is the most
important feature. It's where emotions
are expressed. And those emotions are
transferred to the viewer, and that's why the face is often the focal point when
composing portraits. Now, this concept of
placing the head at a power point also applies to
subjects who are standing. So you can use this technique to create an even
stronger composition. Let's take a look
at a quick example. In this image, we have placed the woman's head at the
top right power point, drawing the viewer's
attention directly to her face and creating a
beautifully balanced composition. Here's another example
where we have placed the woman's head at the
top right powerpoint, and it also works very well. However, you don't
have to always place the head at a PowerPoint. It is important to consider the rest of the
elements in the photo and decide whether
this technique will enhance the
composition or not. Ultimately, the goal is
to choose the composition that makes the image as
powerful as possible, and you are the one who's going to make all
of those decisions, based on the scene, the elements within it and your
own personal style. And that's how you
can use the rule of thirds on full body portrait. That's all for this lesson. I hope you learned
something valuable, and I will see you
in the next one.
7. The Rule of Thirds Applied to Half-Body Portraits: Hello class, and welcome back. In this lesson, we're going
to learn how to effectively apply the rule of thirds
to half body portraits. So let's begin. Okay. So first, let's start by defining what
a half body portrait is. And as the name suggests, it is a portrait that captures only half of
the person's body, usually from the waist up. So we're focusing on the upper body in these
types of portraits. Now, when applying the rule of thirds to half boy portraits, we can use the same techniques as we did with full body shots. For example, in this
beautiful portrait, we have placed the young woman along the right
vertical grid line. So this is a half boy portrait that uses the vertical grid
lines to compose the image, just like we did with
full body portraits. Now, in this other image, we again are using the vertical gridlines
to compose the photo, and the young man is positioned along the
right vertical grid line, leaving space on the
left for his motorcycle, and that's going
to help us to tell the story behind the image. Now, just like we did
with full body portraits, we can also use the
four power points to create balanced compositions
in half body portraits. So let's take a look
at this example. If we turn on the grid, you will see that
the woman's face is positioned on the upper
left power point, resulting in a well
balanced image, and the same is going to
apply to the other portrait. You can see the woman's face is aligned with the upper
right power point, creating a beautifully
composed photo. Now, I have shown you these different examples to demonstrate that the
rule of thirds for half body portraits
is very similar to its application in
full body portraits. However, there are
additional options that we can use with
half body portraits. And this has to do
with the fact that half body portraits show the subject closer
to the camera, and that means that we can see the person's facial expressions and facial features better. So we can use those facial features as key elements to
compose the image. So let's take a
look at this photo. When the subject is closer, the eyes become a
critical focal point and often the most important
element of the portrait. And this applies to both half party and
close up portraits. So that means that we can use the subject's eyes to
guide our composition. Do you remember when we
discussed landscape photos and how we aligned the horizon with the
horizontal grid lines? Well, we can do something
similar here by aligning the subject's eyes with the
upper horizontal grid lane? If I turn on the grid, you can see that
the lady's eyes are aligned with the upper
horizontal grid lane? So even though her face
is centered horizontally, the photo still follows
the rule of thirds because her eyes are placed along
the top horizontal line? Now, let's take a look
at the other photo. The eyes are again aligned with the upper
horizontal line. But this time, they're also aligned with the
right vertical line. As you can see, the upper right PowerPoint is positioned
between the latest eyes, creating a powerful
composition that follows the rule of
thirds more strictly. Now, here we have another
example where we have placed the woman's eyes directly on
the upper right power point, and that's going
to help us to draw the viewer's
attention straight to her expressive
eyes and her face, making for a strong composition. And here we have a quick example where another power
point is used. And as you can see,
it works beautifully. Now, when only one
eye is visible, like in this example, you can position the eye
on a power point for a dramatic and powerful
composition, like in this photo. Now, of course, there
are other factors to consider when composing
half body portraits, such as the placement and
direction of the shoulders, the hands, the background, and other elements
within the frame. As I said earlier, you as the photographer, are the only one
who's going to be taking all of those
creative decisions and decide when to use and when not to use
the rule of thirds. That's all for this lesson. I hope you found it helpful, and I will see you
in the next one.
8. The Rule of Thirds Applied to Close-Up Portraits: How glass and welcome back. In this lesson, we're going
to learn how to effectively apply the rule of thirds
to close up portraits. So let's begin. When working with
close up portraits, we're going to use some of the same techniques that we have covered in previous lessons. But we're also
going to learn and apply some new techniques. So first, I will briefly go over the
techniques we learned earlier and show you how they apply to close
up portraits. And then I will teach
you some new techniques. When working with
close up portraits, the eyes often become the focal
point of the composition. As I mentioned before, the eyes are key in
conveying emotions. So aligning them with the upper horizontal
grid line typically creates a balanced and
engaging composition. So let's take a look
at this example. You can see that the
woman's eyes are perfectly aligned with the
upper horizontal line, resulting in a
pleasing composition that not only
highlights her face, but also frames her
neck naturally. Let's take a look at
this other example. And once again, we have aligned the eyes with the
upper horizontal line. In this picture, we can
see the woman's face, her left shoulder
and her right hand, and this composition
feels very natural because we're following
the rule of thirds. Now, if only one eye is
visible in the shot, you can place it on one of
the power points to create a powerful and engaging
composition that draws the viewer's
attention directly to the eye and then to
the rest of the face. In some cases, you can align both eyes with a power point. In this photo, for example, the upper right power point is placed between the
subject's eyes. And more than that, her body is aligned with the right
vertical grid line. That's why the
composition feels very clean, balanced and pleasing. Now, in close up portraits, the mouth is also a
very important element, and we can use it to compose our photos and get very
interesting results. Now, we're going to
focus on the mouth only when the mouth is more
interesting than the eye. So let's take a look
at this example. Here, the golden
leaves naturally draw more attention
than the eyes, making the mouth the focal
point of decomposition. So let's turn on the grid. And as you can see, the mouth is at the bottom
right power point. And even though the eyes aren't aligned with the upper
horizontal line, de composition works
beautifully because this time the mouth
is the primary focus. And here we have
another example where the mouth is more
important than the eye. The reason is because we
can't even see the eye. They're hidden behind
the woman's heat. In this picture, the mouth becomes the most
important element. We can use it to
compose the image. You can see the mouth is at
the bottom right PowerPoint, and that creates a
very interesting photo with a strong composition, even if we can't see the eye. Now, please note that
making the mouth the most important element of a portrait isn't going
to work all the time. But sometimes, like
in these examples, it will work perfectly. So you can try it and if
it works, it's great. And if it doesn't, then you
can always focus on the eyes. Now, the same way that
the mouth sometimes becomes the most important
element within the portrait. There are also times when an external object becomes
the main focal point, and we can use it to
compose our photos. So let's take a
look at this photo. Here, the Stroverys
vibrant red color naturally grabs the
viewer's attention. So we can use the stroery
to compose the photo, and by placing it at the
bottom right power point, we get a very well
composed close up picture. Now, please also
pay attention to the placement of
the woman's eye. You'll see that it is aligned with the upper horizontal line. And that's why this photo
feels very well balanced because we're framing it so that the strawbery is
at a power point. But at the same time, we're
being careful to place the eye along the
top horizontal line. Now, let's go back to the eyes and mouth because just like in the previous example
where we used two different elements
to compose the image, we can use the eyes and mouth at the same time to create
a powerful composition. So let's show the grid. And you can see that we have
placed the woman's eye and also the mouth
strategically each on a different power point. By composing the
picture this way, we create an engaging
photo that captures the viewer's attention and creates a sense of
balance and harmony. So those are the main
techniques you can use to apply the rule of thirds
to close up portraits. By focusing on the eyes, mouth, or other key elements, you can create a
powerful composition that draws viewers in. And that's all for this lesson. I hope you learned
something useful, and I will see you
in the next one.
9. The Rule of Thirds Applied to Other Photography Genres: Hello class, and welcome back. In this lesson, we're going
to learn how to effectively apply the rule of thirds
to any photography genre. So let's begin. In the previous lessons, we learned how to
apply the rule of thirds to landscape and
portrait photography. And we went in great detail in order to cover any
possible scenario. But there are other
photography genres that we didn't cover. Now, I am not going to make an individual lesson for every
single photography genre. The reason is because the
rule of thirds is going to apply very similarly
to all genres, and we have already
covered all of the important information
in the previous lessons. So I would be wasting
your time if I made you watch a single lesson
for every single genre. Instead, what I'm going to do is to show you
a few examples of other genres and show
you how the information we covered in the
previous lessons applies to those genres. Now, to begin, it is
important to mention that whenever we want to
use the rule of thirds, regardless of the
photography genre, we're going to have to use
the grid and its components. If you remember, its components are the two horizontal lines, the two vertical lines, and the four power points, and we're going to be using those elements to
compose our photos. Now, let's begin with
macro photography. Here we have a
beautiful picture of a lady bug climbing a feather. And here, the main subject is, of course, the lady bug. Now, since the lady bug is just a small part of
the whole picture, we can place it at one of the four power points for
an interesting composition. As you see, we placed it at
the upper right power point, creating a strong and
beautiful composition. Let's see another example. Here we have a simple leave
with a few water drops. And here, the main subject
is the biggest water drop. If we turn on the grid, you'll see that
the water drop is at the upper right power point. So this picture also
follows the rule of thirds. Now, when the subject
is very small, compared to the rest
of the picture, we don't usually use
the grid lines because the subject is so
small that it cannot create a strong vertical
or horizontal line that we can align with
any of the grid lines. And that's why when the
subject is very small, we use the power points, and this is going to apply
to all photography genres. On the other hand, if
the subject or object, we're photographing creates a strong vertical
or horizontal line, then we can use the grid
lines to compose the image. And again, this is going to apply to all photography genres. So let's take a look
at this example. Here we have a cute
caterpillar climbing a plant, and the caterpillar creates
a strong vertical line. In this picture, we
can actually align the main subject with one
of the vertical grid lines, and we get a nice
composition that uses the rule of
thirds. All right. Here we have another example. And this time, we have a
branch with a few water drops. And you can see that the
branch and the water drops create a strong
horizontal line. So we can align them with one of the horizontal grid lines to create a nice composition
using the rule of thirds. Now, I could give you
many more examples. But as I said earlier, I don't want to waste your
time making you watch a whole lesson for every
single photography genre. So let's move on
to the next genre. And now let's talk
about animals. Or pet photography. Now, when we're taking
pictures of a pet, we will usually use
the same techniques we used for portraits
because in some way, when we take pictures of pets, we're basically
taking portraits. The only difference is
that the subject is going to be an animal
and not a person. So let's take a look
at this example. Here we have a nice dug
sitting on his back legs. You can see the dog's body creates a strong vertical shape, and we can align that shape with one of
the vertical grid lanes, just like we did with
regular portraits, and we're going to get a nicely balanced and
engaging composition. Perfect. But see what happens
if the dog is standing, and we're taking the
picture from an angle. In this case, the dog isn't going to make a clear
vertical shape. Now the shape is something
closer to a square. And here, we can't really
align that shape to neither a vertical nor
a horizontal grid lane. However, what we can do is to align the head to a
vertical grid lane. So we're going to
ignore the rest of the body and focus only
on the head placement. And we can do that because
the head is usually going to be the focal point
when photographing animals. That's exactly what we did here. We have placed the dog's head along one of the
vertical grid lines, and we went a little
beyond and placed the head at the upper
right power point. As you see, this picture uses
the rule of thirds because we placed the most important
element at a PowerPoint, and it works very well. Now, let's see this
other picture. Here, we placed the cat's head along the right
vertical grid lane, and that creates a well
composed image that shows the cat's full body and also allows the background to
complement the photo. Here we have a beautiful bird. As you see, its body creates a vertical shape that we can align with the left
vertical grid lane, and we will get a
beautifully composed image. All right. Now, let's talk
about wildlife photography, which is another
photography genre. Here, we're going to do the exact same thing that we
did with pet photography. The rule when photographing
animals is first, identify if their body creates a strong
vertical shape or not. If it does, we can align their body to a
vertical grid line, and we will get a
good composition. If the animals body doesn't create a
strong vertical shape, we can align their head
to a vertical grid line. If you want an even
stronger composition, you can position the animal's
head at a power point. Let's see some quick examples. In this photo, the penguin
creates a vertical shape. We can align it with one of the vertical grid lanes,
as you can see here. Now, in this other photo, we have placed the lion's head at the upper left power point, and you can do the same with any other animal you
are taking pictures of. Perfect. Now, let's talk
about product photography. In product photography, the
most important element is always going to be the
particular product that you're taking pictures of. And for this photography genre, many times you will use
center composition, which means that you're going to place the product at
the very center of the frame because you
want the product to stand out and to be the
main focal point. However, there are
other times when you will want to use other
composition rules, like the rule of thirds. For that, you can place the subject along the
horizontal grid lines, the vertical grid lines, or at a power point. Let's see a few quick examples. In this picture,
the perfume battle creates a strong vertical shape. We have aligned it with the left vertical grid
line, as you can see here. In this other picture, we have a pen, which creates
a strong horizontal shape. We have aligned the pen with the bottom
horizontal grid line. In this other photo, we have
a watch that doesn't create neither a strong vertical nor
a strong horizontal shape. We have placed the watch at
the bottom right power point, and you can do the same with any other product
you're photographing, placing it along
the vertical lines along the horizontal lines
or at a power point. Now let's talk about
groups of people. And when it comes to
groups of people, many times you will use a different composition
rule to frame your shots. And some of the rules
you may want to use are the rule of symmetry, the rule of leading lines, center composition or
another composition rule. That's because when we
have a group of people, we don't have only one subject. We have multiple subjects. It's going to be hard
to place them all along a vertical grid line
or at a PowerPoint, because there's going to be people spread around
the whole frame. Now, if we try to align all of their heads with a
horizontal grid line, that won't work either because people have
different heights, and the heads won't be
aligned horizontally. And if all of their heads are actually aligned
horizontally, your photo will look very
boring and very predictable. Now, the same is going to
apply to groups of objects. If you have multiple objects, then it will be hard to use the rule of thirds
because you won't have a clearly defined main subject that you can place along
the vertical grid lines, the horizontal grid lines. Or at a PowerPoint. When we're taking
pictures of groups of people or groups of objects, we usually use other
composition rules. And there's nothing
wrong with that. In fact, you should
learn and use other composition
rules to create a more interesting and
more dynamic portfolio. Learning how to use other
composition rules is as important as learning how to
master the rule of thirds. That's all for this lesson. Thanks a lot for watching, and I will see you
in the next one.
10. The Rule of Thirds Applied to Any Other Photography Genre: Hello glass, and welcome back. In this lesson, we're going
to learn how to effectively apply the rule of thirds to
any other photography genre. So let's begin. In photography, there are lots of different
genres and subgenres, and it would be impossible to cover all of them in detail. But the great thing is that
most of those genres and subgenres are very similar to the ones that we
have already covered. So what you have to do
when you come across a genre that we
didn't cover is to find a genre that we
did cover that is similar to that other genre
and apply the same rules. I'm going to give
you a few examples so you can see
exactly what I mean. So let's take a look
at food photography. We didn't cover that
specific genre, but if you think about it, food photography is very
similar to product photography. The only difference is
we're going to be taking pictures of food instead
of manmade products. So it is a different
photography genre, but the same rules will apply
when composing our photos. Now, let's take a look
at newborn photography. Again, that's a genre
that we didn't cover, but if you think about it, it is exactly the same as
portrayed photography. The only difference is that
you will be working with babies and not
full grown adults. Now, keep in mind that I'm just talking about the composition
part of the genre. Of course, working with
babies is going to be completely different than
working with adult models, and you will have to learn many other things if you want to work newborn photography. But here we're
only talking about the rule of thirds applied
to different genres. Now, let's take a look
at street photography. And since street photography
usually includes people, we can use the same rules
as we did with portraits. Always taking into account any other important
elements within the shot, like the background or any other complimentary objects that we can use to
compose the photo. Now let's take a look
at sports photography. And again, we're basically
taking portraits. The only difference is that
our subjects won't be posing. They will be playing a sport. But when it comes to
composing the photos, the same rules that
apply to portraits will apply to
sports photography. Now, let's talk about
wedding photography. And for this one, we're
going to use a mix of different genres that we
covered in previous lessons. So let's take a look
at a few examples. When working wedding
photography, there are going to be different
stages during the day. So at the beginning of the day, you may want to take
a few pictures of the bride and groom
getting ready. For those pictures,
we're going to apply the portrait techniques
that we learned earlier. Since we're taking
pictures of people, we're actually taking
portraits. Very easy, right? Then you may want to take a few pictures of
the wedding rings, the bouquet, the shoes, and heels, the grooms watch and other objects that are important when it
comes to weddings. So we're going to take those pictures as
product photography, and we have already
learned how to do that. So you already know how to
compose those kind of photos. After that, you're going to take pictures of the ceremony, the reception, the speeches, the dance, and so on. Here, you're going to use
the rules for groups of people portraits
and other rules, depending on the specific
photo you're taking. So as you see, with the information we covered
in the previous lessons, you will be able to apply
the rule of third to any photography genre and sub genre that you
ever come across. All you have to do is
think a little and find a genre that is very similar
and apply those rules. And that's all for this lesson. Thanks a lot for watching, and I will see you
in the next one.
11. Class Project: Hello class, and welcome back. In this video, I'm
excited to give you a fun project that will help you put your new
skills into action. So let's begin. All right. All you need for
this assignment is either a camera
or a smart phone. And what I want you
to do is to go out there and take some pictures
using the rule of thirds. And then select the best ones and show them in the project
section of this class. I will be providing
personalized feedback on some of your submissions. For this project, you can choose any photography
genre you like. Here are a few ideas
to get you started. You can ask a friend to help you out and take some portraits. Or you can take some
pictures of your cat, your dog, or any
other pet you have. Or you can look for a
nice place and take some landscape or
cityscape photos. That's also a great option. Or choose an interesting object and experiment with
product photography. And regardless of the
photography genre, you select, the assignment consists on using
the rule of thirds. And if you want, and
this is optional, you can also include a
short description of your work and how you applied the rule of thirds to
compose your image. Now, if you are an illustrator, a painter, a three D artist, or any other kind of artist, you can also share
your art where you applied the information
you learned in this class, and I will be more than happy to provide
personalized feedback. Right. And just
one little thing. If you're going to
share portrait photos, please make sure you
have permission from the person in the photos
before you post them here. Also, when you are out
there taking photos, please be very careful
and never put yourself or others in dangerous positions just to make an
interesting photo. It's never worth it to risk your safety or the safety
of others for a photo. And that's all for this lesson. Thanks a lot for watching, and I will be looking forward
to see your wonderful art.
12. Final Thoughts: Hello class, and welcome back. I am so proud of you for
completing this class. Congratulations. Now
you're ready to go out and capture some standing photos
using the rule of thirds. Remember, the more you practice, the better you will
become as a photographer. So make it a habit to go out there and experiment
with your new skills. And don't forget to share your best photos in the
project section of this class. I'd love to sre work, and I will be providing personalized feedback to
help you grow even more. Now, to finish, I'd like to say that even though the
rule of thirds is a great way to create visually appealing compositions
in photography and art, you don't need to use this rule in every single one
of your creations. There are more
options that you can use to compose your images. The rule of thirds
is just one of the many composition
rules that you can use to create
amazing photos. Now, let me tell you
a little secret. I am currently working on a new class where you will learn and master other composition
rules like symmetry, balance visual
weight, perspective, leading lines and many more. So make sure you visit my profile and search
for that class. It's very likely that by the
time you're watching this, that class will be available. And also, make sure
you follow me so you don't miss any of
my new weekly classes. And to finish, I want to thank you for joining
me in this class. I truly hope you've gained
valuable information that you can use to elevate your
photography and artistic skills. If you enjoy this class, please take a moment to read it and leave a positive review. It really helps me a lot. Thank you so much for your time, and I will see you in
another one of my classes.
Moy Lobito
