The Concept:
In Today’s Photo Minute, Brian discusses that almost as important to great compositions as making sure to have a main subject in your photos, is where you choose to position the subject in the frame. Check out the video for more about the rule of thirds and why it can be the single factor that makes your images more dynamic and interesting. The following examples are a simple illustration of moving the subject out of the center of the frame for impact.
The Assignment:
Working on composition is so easy to practice but it requires us to slow down and not concentrate on getting the shot as much as how we design the image that we want to create. Find any subject and make sure that you are clear that there is one main focal point in the photo you plan to capture. Take one image with the subject in the center. Then move the camera around so that the same subject is located at one of the four intersection points if you were to imagine the rule of thirds in your frame. Take this photo and then keep moving the subject to the other three intersection points in the frame capturing a photo of each. Display all five images on the computer screen and see which one you think is the most interesting composition. Doing this intentionally a few more times with different subject matters will really start to instill this important compositional principle in your general photography.