PhotographyLesson 1 of 1 in the course Composition

Rule of Thirds: Composition, History, and Evidence

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

The rule of thirds is a practical guideline for arranging visual elements in photographs, films, paintings, and designs. This lesson explains how to imagine the grid and use it to make deliberate compositional choices.

Imagine two equally spaced horizontal lines and two equally spaced vertical lines drawn across an image. These lines divide the frame into nine equal rectangles. Their four crossings are called the intersection points.

All flashcards

Rule of thirds
A composition guideline that divides an image into nine equal parts and suggests placing important elements along the lines or near their intersections.
Intersection point
A point where a horizontal grid line crosses a vertical grid line.
Space for movement
Open space left in front of a moving subject, in the direction it is traveling.
John Thomas Smith's contribution
In 1797, Smith wrote down the expression “rule of thirds” and applied proportional thinking to pictorial composition.
George Field's criticism
Field cautioned that applying a fixed proportion universally could make artistic practice uniform and monotonous.

Quiz questions

  1. Who first wrote down the expression “rule of thirds,” and when?Answer: John Thomas Smith, in 1797.
  2. What proportional arrangement did Smith suggest for some landscapes?Answer: About two-thirds sky and one-third material objects.
  3. What did Reynolds discuss before Smith's written account of the rule?Answer: Balancing dark and light in a painting without specifying a numerical proportion.
  4. What concern did George Field raise about applying a fixed proportion universally?Answer: It could make artistic practice uniform and monotonous.
  5. What relationship did the 2014 study find between calculated rule-of-thirds conformity and aesthetic ratings?Answer: The ratings were not related to the calculated conformity values.

Based on the Wikipedia article Rule of thirds, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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