LENS-ARTISTS CHALLENGE #197 – The Rule Of Thirds

Tina takes the lead this week. In a nutshell, it’s about photo image composition. It’s good to get back to the basics, as we did in #194 – BOKEH.

…the rule of thirds encourages dynamism, where the viewer sees a key element off to the side, then takes a visual journey throughout the rest of the image.” (Link.) ‘Yeahhh. That’s the ticket.’ (Jon Lovitz)

To me it’s about the journey your eyes take when looking at a photo. Start at the subject and look elsewhere, or vice-versa.

This one takes the cake 😂 :

The carrot cake, with its thick, creamy, buttery frosting (don’t get me started), is in the upper and left third of the photo. It’s likely the first thing you look at. It’s framed nicely by the circular small plate, and the fork, guilty flavor all over its tines, is seen at the center. The vertical lines of the place mat sweep upward, leaning toward the center from each side. ‘Please sir, may I have another?’ -Oliver?

Speaking of food, the following is a busy composition. The viewer is hit with a lot of items. I find I look at the center first, then move around toward the edges.

Mmmmm. Slaw, to fried fish (cod, I think), then left to fries, sweeping up left, oooh, there’s a Guinness peeking behind the fries, over right to malt vinegar and salt (must-haves on MY fish and chips, English style), and the most observant will detect a bit of Reuben sandwich in the upper right, in the process of devour-ation by m’lady. Can you tell I’m on a seafood diet? See-food, eat it.

Enough about food. What about this one. Attractions to the eye in both the right side and the left side, upper third, against a bright blue sky background. My eyes go first to the right, the closest item to the viewer, then arrow left to the large circular rotor:

Finally, I liked this one, taken at the Codorniu sparkling wine vineyards in Spain. The eyes plunge down and right to the archways below and right, then look closer at the hints of brick in the foregrounds left and right:

In 197 Lens-Artists Challenges I’m sure the hosts have covered all the basics many times, but perhaps someone, with greater expertise than I (which would be anyone at all) will revisit photo basics further, such as aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. I’m already dizzy with anticipation. REALLY! 🤔

Stay well, stay safe, be weird and wonderful. Above all, keep your sense of HUMOR! 🙂 🙂