Composition Lesson: The rule of thirds

There are a few things about composing a photograph that can make an image more appealing. The rule of thirds is one that I enjoy using in my photos. When looking through the viewfinder of your camera, use your imagination to divide the frame into three both vertically and horizontally.

Now if you have a point of interest in your photo such as a red apple, you should compose the image so that the apple is placed not in the exact center, but at one of the points where the lines intersect.

So here is an example of how I shot an image of several green apples with one red apple placed among them. This is a pleasant photo because of the color, texture and contrast but if the photo had been composed with the red apple in the middle it would lose some of the impact. Take a look. So the next time you are snapping images with your favorite camera, try composing the photo with the rule of thirds in mind.