

With an understanding of visual weight, you will gain insight into how people look at photos. But if you place the subject towards the side, it can add more interest to the picture. Placing the main subject in the middle of the frame evokes a strong sense of balance in the image. For example, using bright colors with a white background grabs the viewer’s attention. How you place elements according to these aspects can change your photo composition. You can also characterize visual weight by texture, color, tone, depth of field, light, and more. The larger the object, the stronger the presence it will have. You can determine the visual weight of an object by many factors. It’s up to you how you want to place and balance the various elements in the frame. Some elements have a stronger presence than others. Visual weight refers to the visual impact a compositional element has. The rule of thirds is an excellent starting point for getting to grips with composition. This method will also prevent the eye from moving to distracting backgrounds. While cropping a photo, use the rule so that the subject falls on one of the points of intersection. You can even use the rule of thirds in post-processing. This makes the photograph much more interesting. The photo composition encourages them to explore the photo themselves. And the eye is on the point of intersection. In the image below, the face is on the left vertical line. Place the main subject or key elements, such as eyes, on the point of intersection for a portrait. Place key objects along these lines to make your photograph more visually pleasing.įor example, place the horizon on a horizontal line in a landscape.

You should place the main subject or points of interest at these points. This leaves you with nine equal rectangles and four points of intersection. The basic idea is to divide your camera’s frame into horizontal or vertical thirds. And for good reason-it’s simple, and it works. The rule of thirds is the first compositional rule that a photographer comes across.
