Is a rule, or is it a guide?…

The Van Wert Photography Club is gearing up for another season of photo shoots.  Plans for the shoots will be outlined at the meeting coming up Thursday, April 11, at 114 S. Race St. in Van Wert. Scheduled to start at 7 p.m., it will probably last about an hour and include a treasurer’s report.

What’s the answer to the question in the title? We’ve learned not to place the subject in the center because the composition will be more interesting if you divide the viewfinder into three equal sections, both vertically and horizontally and place the subject at the intersection of two of those lines. (The Rule of Thirds)

The “yes buts” to this is if the subject is symmetrical — a blossom or architectural scenes for examples, and fill the viewfinder, it appears that centered is not only logical, it shows the subject balanced. To make the image more interesting, you can wait till a bee or butterfly lands on the flower, or spray water on it to simulate dew. Adding a person/s may show scale and add interest to an architectural image.

As for the thirds, if there is nothing to balance the subject at a third location, the picture would look more balanced if the subject were positioned to somewhere between the third and middle.  Also, you might move to a different angle of view, or wait to include something that would not distract from the subject but still counter balance its volume.

More decisions, but they may turn your good photo into a great one.