# Photo Project #4 - Rule of Thirds



## RustyBrown

*2Cool Photo Project #4*

*Title - "Rules of Thirds"*

If you are not familiar with the term click here... 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_thirds

Opens 6/16 and closes 6/30

Congratulations to James on winning the extended "Glass" project for the selectively lit dragon. 

In an effort to stimulate the creative process and the exchange of images and critiques on the board I have decided to create bi-monthly photo projects. Here's how it will work&#8230;

A project will be stickied on or about the 1st and 15th of each month and will close on the 15th and 1st of the next month respectively.

A photographer may enter as many images as he or she would like throughout the time of the project on this thread only.

All 2coolers are invited to give feedback, suggestion and critiques for those submissions on the same thread. 

*Images must be taken between the start and end dates of the projects.* You should only submit shots that you have taken.

Images should be kept to 800 pixels on the longest side. Borders are allowed.

Photo manipulation is welcome - at your own risk. 

At the project close the previous winner will select the project winner. The project winner will select the next topic. Should this not happen within 48 hrs I will intervene.

Participation is key both in imagery and feedback.


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## Arlon

Most cameras have grid lines in thirds you can turn on for your viewfinder. It gives you the "thirds" proportion and it's also handy for getting things straight. My 1/3 grid lines stay on all the time, even on my P&S camera. On this shot the bottom third gave me the base line for the flowers (shot 30 minutes ago)..


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## Arlon

Last night's light show (6/18/08).


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## sandybottom

Messing around with desk light today.


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## rippin lips jr

*Water Droplet.*

Caught some water droplets falling and in impact. Thursday 6-19-08.


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## Koru

(thanks for the help with the signature Austin. photobucket is cool! saves me having to open photoshop for smaller jobs i want to do.)


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## Koru

from on holiday


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## Donnie Hayden

Nice shots Karen. Main problem I see is the signature, it takes away from the photos.


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## Koru

Donnie Hayden said:


> Nice shots Karen. Main problem I see is the signature, it takes away from the photos.


you're right. i have just plonked my signature on them and it looks like i have plonked it there.  can you try to look past it?

i should take the three off now cos our resident whizz kid just posted up some beautiful sky shots.

oh Austin, i think you've got the Rule of Thirds under control. lovely images, got my poetry juices running now.

rosesm


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## Primer

Koru said:


> you're right. i have just plonked my signature on them and it looks like i have plonked it there.  can you try to look past it?
> 
> i should take the three off now cos our resident whizz kid just posted up some beautiful sky shots.
> 
> oh Austin, i think you've got the Rule of Thirds under control. lovely images, got my poetry juices running now.
> 
> rosesm


I'm new to this..

I took mine down because I didn't understand it so..


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## Koru

ynggun said:


> I'm new to this..
> 
> I took mine down because I didn't understand it so..


oh no! put them back please. they were great examples of Rule of Thirds! i loved them. 

guess my kiwi english isn't clear, sorry about that. rosesm

i was saying i'd take my three photos down because yours are so good.

the part about my poetry juices running... i write poetry. sometimes i write poetry to images that touch my very heart. a couple of your sky images just did that for me.

hope that makes sense


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## Primer

Ohhh.... okay..





































Thank you Koru for the kind comments..

Since I started Photography clouds have been the best to me..


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## sandybottom

Took this while I was on standby at work.


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## rippin lips jr

*Rainbow*

Of a big double rainbow. 6/21/08


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## sandybottom

I saw the same one! It was Cool to see after a hefty storm.


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## jasonp

*thirds..*









Taken on the Tohono O'Odahm Indian Reservation in SW AZ


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## RustyBrown

*For Nikon Shooters...*

Just a heads up as I see some stuff here that seems to be off the "rule". My D300 grid screen is not of any use on the rule of thirds as it's marked in 25% increments and not 33.3% increments (there are 3 vertical and 3 horizontal lines - all equidistant from each other).

So before you start using them as a guide you might want to make sure which grid your camera has.


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## MT Stringer

Nice shot Jason.


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## Fisher Lou

The rule:


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## grayfish

Nice shots jasonp and Fisher Lou.


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## Koru

RustyBrown said:


> Just a heads up as I see some stuff here that seems to be off the "rule". My D300 grid screen is not of any use on the rule of thirds as it's marked in 25% increments and not 33.3% increments (there are 3 vertical and 3 horizontal lines - all equidistant from each other).
> 
> So before you start using them as a guide you might want to make sure which grid your camera has.


good point. my d80 is the same and i didn't even realise it. lol okay normally when i shoot i focus and then move the camera until the subject is 'to one side'. hence all my missed Rule of Thirds' images. hmm

maybe use the gap between the 25% line and the second line of focus points...?


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## Arlon

MT Stringer said:


> Nice shot Jason.


Nice shot but it's dated 2005. Archived shots don't count..


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## jasonp

*Oh well.*



Arlon said:


> Nice shot but it's dated 2005. Archived shots don't count..


I guess I read it wrong..I saw *opens and closes* dates but not a "must be taken" between. My bad interpretation


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## stargazer

*Heres mine*

This weekend


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## grayfish

Koru said:


> good point. my d80 is the same and i didn't even realise it. lol okay normally when i shoot i focus and then move the camera until the subject is 'to one side'. hence all my missed Rule of Thirds' images. hmm
> 
> maybe use the gap between the 25% line and the second line of focus points...?


Let me see if this works

This is a drawing overlay of a Microsoft Image and is not intended to be entered. It ain't mine in other words and is only intended as a response to Karen's question. For those who would like to know it is an 8:12 ratio representation.

The BLUE lines represent 1/4 spaced increments of the "viewfinder".

The RED lines represent 1/3 space increments.


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## Arlon

jasonp said:


> I guess I read it wrong..I saw *opens and closes* dates but not a "must be taken" between. My bad interpretation


Still a darn nice picture and a good example just shouldn't be in the running for the grand prize! (-:}


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## stargazer

*Last one from me*

Saturdays storm.......


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## Koru

grayfish said:


> Let me see if this works
> 
> This is a drawing overlay of a Microsoft Image and is not intended to be entered. It ain't mine in other words and is only intended as a response to Karen's question. For those who would like to know it is an 8:12 ratio representation.
> 
> The BLUE lines represent 1/4 spaced increments of the "viewfinder".
> 
> The RED lines represent 1/3 space increments.


that's brilliant Jack, thank you. i need to go practise with that in my mind. i wonder why grid lines don't come in 1/4 _and_ 1/3 options.

rosesm


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## Fisher Lou

Sunrise at Bolivar beach this past Saturday.


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## Ibeafireman

Louis, that sunrise photo is nice. Is that from last weekend when your girlfriend got hooked by the stingray?


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## Fisher Lou

Yes, She was castneting for bait and BAMB! No Fun. FYI, hot water really does work on sting ray barb hits.

On another note, I still havent seen your photo on the rule of thrirds. I know you shot some cool photos recently. Lets see them!


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## sandybottom

We have a winner! Sorry, but that is an awesome shot!


Fisher Lou said:


> Sunrise at Bolivar beach this past Saturday.


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## fab739

Louis, that is an awesome shot. Makes me want to start getting the camera out more, or at least go fishing some more.


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## Koru

how's this grayfish?


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## kenny

Nice photo and signature Koru.

rule of thirds: someone needs to take a photo of a side-by-side refrigerator/freezer!


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## RustyBrown

Lou,


That's a very intresting flare by any chance did you use a cross screen to get that effect?


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## Fisher Lou

Rusty, You will probably never believe me but it was true luck. My GF and I arrived at the beach an noticed the sun starting to breach the clouds. Riding along confortably with the windows rolled up and AC on. We saw a fisherman all alone with the sunrise in the background and I thought wow, perfect timing. Jumped out of my truck and snaped 3 pictures. Paused a few seconds and took some more and noticed somthing just wasn't right. I could not see him anymore through the camera. The I realized that the lens had fogged up just a little bit. By this time the photo opp was gone. Right place, Right time, Right conditions.


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## RustyBrown

First of all thanks to Gator_Nutz, because I think many of you are getting a lot out of this exercise and composition is so very important to great imagery.

Just a quick rant on how I approach it. I think the RoT (Rule of Thirds) is an extension of the premise that we don't want to put points of interest in the center of the frame. It just takes it a little further. Elderfish did a great job of saying "put points of interest here" (the intersections of the red grid lines). Thanks for taking the time Jack.

Karen, I have no idea why the viewfinders were designed on 1/4 increments, but I know those designers are a lot smarter than me. They would probably make the argument that as a photographer I should be able to compose without the grid, which I have turned off. I would make the agument that you should put yourself in a box by rules. You Canon guys have this viewfinder issue?

My opinions so far? "Stargazer's Storm" shot really does it for me, but there's a nit in the upper left corner. It's easily fixed and I will continue to sing his praises for his recent stuff.

Fisher Lou, thanks for what you're bringing to the board. Your in the lead, but I disagree with Sandy for which image. The beach shot is intersting and the sunburst is properly positioned, but there's a horizon nit. Easy to fix as well, but I wanted to mention it before Grayfish laid down a grid on it and sends it to all your family like he does with me. :redface:

The daisy shot however is so well suited for the project that I almost feel like you were making fun of it. Technically it's spot on and even though the number of compositional elements is small, it's a beautiful image that could I believe be displayed vertically as well.

...*but my vote doesn't count and there's still plenty of time left.*

BTW - I may have spoken of this before, but I think images are left-handed and right-handed (for lack of a better term). What I mean by that is that I've have never been able to flip and image horizontally in Photoshop and have it look better than the original composition. Anyone else notice that?


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## RustyBrown

Koru said:


> how's this grayfish?


Koru,

Not GF, but hopefully I'll do. Good placement of the subject, but the dominant vertical fence line is too far left. If it had been on the vertical third it may have helped a bit simply becauseit's such a stong vertical line. I normally wouldn't say or perhaps notice it - except that we're focusing on RoT.

I can't beleive it's autumn there! I'm trying to figure out if you're six months ahead or behind or are we?


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## Koru

RustyBrown said:


> Koru,
> 
> Not GF, but hopefully I'll do. Good placement of the subject, but the dominant vertical fence line is too far left. If it had been on the vertical third it may have helped a bit simply becauseit's such a stong vertical line. I normally wouldn't say or perhaps notice it - except that we're focusing on RoT.
> 
> I can't beleive it's autumn there! I'm trying to figure out if you're six months ahead or behind or are we?


it's 3.49pm Thursday 26th June, so i'm saying we're ahead 

thanks for the comment, i'll try to focus on background too next time.

thank you Kenny. it's a lovely flower  and i'm taking note of the signature thread


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## RustyBrown

Koru said:


> it's 3.49pm Thursday 26th June, so i'm saying we're ahead
> 
> thanks for the comment, i'll try to focus on background too next time.
> 
> thank you Kenny. it's a lovely flower  and i'm taking note of the signature thread


Maybe your ahead, but your toilets stillflush backwards.


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## Dorado-Mahi

Here are a few I captured this past weekend.


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## Slip

Wow D - H, I love #2 and #3 the best. Those are fantastic.


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## stargazer

Ray, Can I see the full size of # 3  :biggrin: WOW, nice shots.


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## Ibeafireman

Ok FisherLou, here it is. I still dont think it is as nice as your sunrise shot though. 
EDIT: Oops, I am a little late with my submission.....oh well hope you enjoy it anyway.


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## RustyBrown

...and the win goes to Stargazer's approaching storm. Nicely done Fred. Next topic coming...


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## grayfish

Cogratulations Fred. Great photo. In fact there were many good photos. Thanks for the efforts guys and girls.


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## Koru

well done Fred. rosesm


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