When taking a picture, where should the horizon be?

Question

I know and understand the rule of thirds, but I would like to know, when taking a picture of something such as a tree, should the horizon be positioned on the top or bottom third line?

Asked by J. Walker

Answer

The most important thing to remember is that the rule of thirds is more like what you'd call "guidelines" than actual rules. Even if you're familiar with the rule, I suggest refreshing yourself on the background of the rule of thirds and where it comes from. It contains less ancient wisdom than many people assume.

So, since there's no hard and fast rule, that means there's really no magic answer to this. (Take a look at When is it OK to place the subject in the middle of a picture? and When should I break the rule of thirds?) It would be convenient if there were an always-correct answer, but if there were, all compositions would be identical and boring. We'd not even need photographers; robot cameras could be programmed to follow all the rules and produce great art. Clearly, that's not the case.

But that doesn't mean this is a bad question or that the rule of thirds is useless. It may be just a guideline, but it does have some basic good sense. My main advice is to not get too caught up on precise alignment with the ⅓ line or any other special divisions. If you keep the numerology out of it, though, there are some basic effects that differ when you place the horizon high or low.

A high horizon can emphasize the distance and three-dimensionality in your photo, if the landscape sweeps back towards it. Or, if the foreground is the main concern and there's a dominant foreground subject, putting the horizon high places the emphasis on that subject with the sky out of the way.

A low horizon can emphasize a majestic sky, and if the foreground is boring, you can just cut it out. This composition can have a more formal, observational feel, and a sense of looking into the picture rather than being in the picture. With low horizon, the subject is more apt to break the horizon line, which is a topic all unto itself.

A centered horizon tends to create a more static composition, and often when you choose this, it's because your photograph is about the reflection of the sky and the landscape. In this case, you would generally either want to emphasize that doubled relationship, or have another strong compositional element to create tension. The second image here provides a very successful example of this.

Answered by mattdm

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When is it OK to place the subject in the middle of a picture?

Question

When is it OK to place the subject in the middle of a picture?

I took this picture and feel very compelled to put the subject in the centre rather than on the sides.

Answer

When is it OK to place the subject in the middle of a picture? Whenever you feel like it works best!

The general rule of not centering your subject is time-honored, and comes from one basic idea: the center of an image is a stable, straightforward place. When you put something there visually, it stays there visually, usually resulting in a static composition.

When you have your subject off-center, you can use tension and dynamic balance, which tend to make a more engaging composition.

Other factors can contribute to this: the lines from the subject's eyes and the way the subject is facing; color weight; other objects and motion in the composition and their balance. Overall, these can add dynamic interest even if your main subject is static.

You may, though, want the simple, straightforward, and more-static image. That's okay. Think about the flow of interest as you are observing the photo, and decide if a centered or dynamically-balanced composition fits your intent better.

In your particular example, the dog's face (and particularly eyes) aren't actually centered at all: they're quite towards the top of the frame. The overall subject is centered, but the face has considerable off-center visual weight. The leaves on the right side contrasting with the bright yellow flowers on the center-right provide some reason to keep the horizontal as it is; a tighter crop either cuts out the context of the plants or leaves the frame feeling cluttered.

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