Portrait Composition for Beginners 新手人像構圖 - 'the rule of thirds'

Have you ever encountered a situation in which you think you can capture nice images but failed to do so? Composition for photography beginners may seem a bit frustrating, but after you've mastered a few simple tips, you can also capture good-looking portraits at your fingertips.

Some of you may have heard of 'the rule of thirds' (三分法). It is a set of gridlines that divides your image into 9 equal parts, and important elements are usually placed in the following 3 ways (相片焦點放在以下三個地方):

1 along these 4 lines

線上

2 on their 4 intersections (green marks)

點上

3 in the centre box

中心框內

Let's see some examples together.

Let's view our cover photo with the rule of third girds, the model's facial elements are placed in the centre box 中心框內.

In this photo, the model's body is placed along the right vertical line 線上.

In this photo, the model's facial elements are also placed in the centre box 中心框內.

When using the rule of thirds, ask yourself,

What are the main features I want to showcase in this capture?

main feature: cigarette and eyes - placed in centre box 中心框內

main feature: eyes - placed on intersection 點上

Keep the rule of thirds in mind and use it wisely. It doesn’t mean you have to use the rule of thirds at all times. But it's surely a starting point for you to explore more about composition and start capturing amazing portraits.

Stay tuned for the next post on how you can break the rule of thirds and capture even more stunning images.