Social media photography: How the rule of thirds can boost your visual content
Posted: Mon 24th Oct 2022
Ever heard of the rule of thirds? If you're a photography fan, the chances are you know all about this rule. If it's completely new to you, you might well find that this handy little concept takes your social media imagery to the next level. And with no extra energy or effort!
The rule of thirds is a useful part of your social media toolkit as it can really help to transform an image into something a lot more visually interesting. It isn't always the case, so the best thing to do is experiment.
Next time you take photos for your social media, play around with the composition aspects using the rule of thirds and see what you think. You never know, it might be a game-changer!
Read on to learn more about what the rule of thirds is, how to apply it to the photographs you take, and how to take advantage of it in your social media posts and content.
What is the rule of thirds?
The rule of thirds is a clever tool that helps us better frame photographs and make them really stand out from the crowd. Imagine a grid over an image that essentially breaks the image into nine equally-sized boxes. Two lines cross the image horizontally and two cross it vertically.
When you have your grid in place (either in your mind or through your phone camera), look to align the subject of the image with a point where the lines cross. There will be two of these on the left of the image and two on the right.
It's said that if we align the main subject of the image – a person, an object, an animal or anything else – with this cross, the image looks better from a compositional point of view and makes more of a visual impact.
How can I get a rule of thirds grid on my phone?
Depending on the type of phone you have, the chances are you might be able to get these lines as a pale overlay for every image you take.
Here's how to get a rule of thirds grid on your smartphone camera. When you open your Camera app, the lines will be there, ready to use should you need them.
Rule of thirds gridlines on iPhone
Follow these simple steps.
Open Settings
Select Camera
Scroll to Grid in the Composition menu
Toggle to On
Rule of thirds gridlines on Android
Follow these basic steps.
Launch the Camera app
Tap Settings
Toggle on Grid Lines
What if my image's subject doesn't fit on an intersection?
When using the rule of thirds, you can also opt to just follow one of the lines if you want to. If you're photographing something long or tall, this can work well.
Does the rule of thirds work with videos on social media too?
Yes, it does – in fact, it can make your videos a lot more interesting. It sounds strange when you say moving the subject of a video can make something more appealing to watch, but if we're looking to give our content the best chance of success, it's worth throwing everything at it!
What if the rule of thirds doesn't improve my image or video?
I've been studying this concept for a while and often apply it to my own images, but I also abandon the rule when needed. There are times when a subject placed in the centre of the image works better.
Maybe the symmetry of the image looks best that way, or the other elements of the image lurking in the background mean the image lends itself to a different way of framing it.
Use the rule to see if it'll improve what you're posting and sharing, but also don't be afraid to do something else if it's not really working for you.
Can I use the rule of thirds to edit an image I've already taken?
Yes, you can experiment with the rule of thirds when it comes to the editing process too. How you do this depends on the type of smartphone you have.
Editing an image on iPhone
Open Photos
Select your image
Tap Edit
Tap the crop tool
Editing an image on Android
Open the photo in the gallery
Tap Transform
Tap Ratio
Select 1:1
Drag the image and/or each corner
Tap the tick icon
The lines will appear on the image and the grid will be there for you to experiment with.
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