September 24, 2014

Red Bird on Third

Cardinal on Invisible Point a Third of the Way Into the Frame

If you studied composition you are probably familiar with the rule of thirds. Because of it, I positioned the cardinal a third of the way into the picture. Coincidentally he was facing the same direction on both trees, so his position is the same in both pictures because of another compositional rule I was following called lead room. Actually I'd forgotten what it was called until I looked it up just now but it means to leave extra room in front of the way the subject is facing.

Of course, these rules are not laws, they are more like suggestions designed to avoid static-looking pictures. They are in line with a theory that subjects are more interesting if not centered, but personally I think a centered subject can be quite compelling.

So, fellow photographers: Do you consider the rule of thirds when you compose a picture?

Linking to: Wild Bird Wednesday

15 comments:

  1. I do actually, at least sometimes, depending on the subject.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I do, depending on the setting of the shot.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yup, most of the time, I do. I think both "rules" come somewhat naturally to most photographers.

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a brilliant red bird! Very nice. Sometimes I follow the photography "rules" sometimes I break them....depends upon the shot.

    ReplyDelete
  5. It's not all that easy sometimes with the smaller birds don't you think Linda, they flit around so quickly.. I'm just usually happy if I can catch them in the frame at all :) You've got two lovelies here.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Pretty shots! I don't usually think about rules that much.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I don't usually pay any attention to rules. Love how the bright red stands out in both photos, though.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Lovely photos ~ love the cardinal in the first one ~ Rules of 3rds ~ I think I subconsciously compose that way sometimes ~ Great post!

    artmusedog and carol (A Creative Harbor)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Linda,
    Have always had a good head for positioning stuff through a lens. "Whatever looks best to me" is my rule of photography. :) m & jb

    ReplyDelete
  10. Nice composition! I have always loved forming it properly with art...when I take photos of birds I tend to be too excited, and scared they are going to fly away to worry about framing the picture properly! :-) Good job! Lovely cardinal!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Beautiful captures of the Cardinal!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Such a lovely bird. I have to agree that some photos don't need the rules of photography to be beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I try to use the "third" rule but often when pressed to get the photo I shoot and hope I can crop later. That's when you're glad for digital photography and high mps!

    ReplyDelete

The View from Squirrel Ridge features thousands of views of the Shenandoah Valley and surrounding area. I post frequently so please visit often.

Your comments are appreciated. If you are responding to a post older than a few days, your comment will be held until we have a chance to approve it. Thanks for your patience!

Sorry, anonymous comments cannot be accepted because of the large number of spam comments that come in that way. Also, links that are ads will be deleted.