Where did the rule of thirds come from: First, the woman's voice in the presentation is nauseous, but the message is clear. The golden ratio, represented by fibonacci numbers is found...

SonyBug

First, the woman's voice in the presentation is nauseous, but the message is clear. The golden ratio, represented by fibonacci numbers is found in nature millions of times. Using this makes our photos more pleasing and it has been embraced by artists for eons. Here it is, and I hope it helps all of us to make better photos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8ccsE_IumM

JD750 Loc: SoCal

SonyBug wrote:

First, the woman's voice in the presentation is nauseous, but the message is clear. The golden ratio, represented by fibonacci numbers is found in nature millions of times. Using this makes our photos more pleasing and it has been embraced by artists for eons. Here it is, and I hope it helps all of us to make better photos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8ccsE_IumM

My answer before reading the post was “it’s an approximation of the perfect rectangle.”

Much easier to say 1/3 or 2/3.

But then what of power points? Which are not on 1/3 lines?

There are many “tools” (Not rules) of composition. They were developed by master painters and artists over time. Knowing about them, and being mindful of them when shooting can help tell a story and also produce more satisfying results.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

And if there is a horizon in the frame PLEASE make sure it is level!! I don’t know how many times I see tilted horizons, sometimes even in a magazine or article. 😱 A tilted horizon , even slightly, simply ruins a composition.

IDguy Loc: Idaho

SonyBug wrote:

First, the woman's voice in the presentation is nauseous, but the message is clear. The golden ratio, represented by fibonacci numbers is found in nature millions of times. Using this makes our photos more pleasing and it has been embraced by artists for eons. Here it is, and I hope it helps all of us to make better photos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8ccsE_IumM

The link is about the Golden Ratio, not the rule of thirds.

Here is one on that: https://youtu.be/HMjvvltQpmw

SonyBug

IDguy wrote:

The link is about the Golden Ratio, not the rule of thirds.

Here is one on that: https://youtu.be/HMjvvltQpmw

The spiral from the Golden Ratio brings the center of focus of a photo to approximately the intersections point of the rule of thirds. That is why I titled it that way. I just watched the link given for rule of thirds and don't think the guy explaining it gets it. It never was about letting the viewer see more of the background. It is about how our eye is trained to see what nature already presents to us and the relationship of things in nature.

Pablo8 Loc: Nottingham UK.

Used by Artists and Architects from way-back in time. You do NOT have to abide by it, but it does help, often in composition. Just don't annoy others by 'Bitching' about it.

SonyBug

JD750 wrote:

My answer before reading the post was “it’s an approximation of the perfect rectangle.”

Much easier to say 1/3 or 2/3.

But then what of power points? Which are not on 1/3 lines?

There are many “tools” (Not rules) of composition. They were developed by master painters and artists over time. Knowing about them, and being mindful of them when shooting can help tell a story and also produce more satisfying results.

Quoting "But then what of power points? Which are not on 1/3 lines?"

That is exactly what the "power points" are, the intersections of the rule of thirds...

JD750 Loc: SoCal

SonyBug wrote:

Quoting "But then what of power points? Which are not on 1/3 lines?"

That is exactly what the "power points" are, the intersections of the rule of thirds...

Sorry yes you are correct. I was thinking of "golden points".

But then what of "golden points"?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbswS3cc0D8

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

JD750 wrote:

And if there is a horizon in the frame PLEASE make sure it is level!! I don’t know how many times I see tilted horizons, sometimes even in a magazine or article. 😱 A tilted horizon , even slightly, simply ruins a composition.

Why are you so concerned about other photographers' artistic choices? Or why should others care about your preferences? Art is about expressing oneself, there is no right and wrong. If a tilted horizon happens to express how I feel, then that's what I will do.

IDguy Loc: Idaho

rook2c4 wrote:

Why are you so concerned about other photographers' artistic choices? Or why should others care about your preferences? Art is about expressing oneself, there is no right and wrong. If a tilted horizon happens to express how I feel, then that's what I will do.

Most artists, including photographers, make images to please others.

While there is no right or wrong some compositions appeal to more people than other compositions. So if pleasing the maximum number of others is your aim learning ways to make your compositions more attractive will help you. The rule of thirds in one way. There are many others.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

The rule of thirds can be effective, but it isn't the only way to compose an image. When shooting a single subject, like a head shot, a single tree, a single flower, I often like to center it, and I think that often works. I see photos with a single subject set off to the side with extra negative space, and it feels like an arbitrary use of the rule of thirds.

CO

SonyBug wrote:

Quoting "But then what of power points? Which are not on 1/3 lines?"

That is exactly what the "power points" are, the intersections of the rule of thirds...

The power point of the golden spiral is not the same as a rule of thirds intersection.

etaoin Loc: Wichita, KS

JD750 wrote:

And if there is a horizon in the frame PLEASE make sure it is level!! I don’t know how many times I see tilted horizons, sometimes even in a magazine or article. 😱 A tilted horizon , even slightly, simply ruins a composition.

A-frikken-men! :-)

CO

Here's a photo I took that has two diagonally opposed rule of thirds intersections.

(Download)

JD750 Loc: SoCal

rook2c4 wrote:

Why are you so concerned about other photographers' artistic choices? Or why should others care about your preferences? Art is about expressing oneself, there is no right and wrong. If a tilted horizon happens to express how I feel, then that's what I will do.

Artistic choice? LOL. Surely you jest. A dutch tilt is completely different from a landscape or seascape with a tilted horizon. The theme in the OP was to help make better photos. But hey, if crooked horizons are your idea of a better photo, your artistic choice, then by all means knock yourself out.