The Rule of Thirds

The rule of thirds is the one of the most well known principles of composition in photography.  

Rule of Thirds grid

The rule of thirds is breaking down an image into 9 parts, this helps you see what the most important part of the image is. This tells you where you should try to place the more important parts of your picture. 

People say that if you place the points of the picture that are more interesting along the lines your photo is more balanced and also more interesting. When people are looking at a picture they tend to look at one of the points of interest first instead of looking directly at the center without really noticing. 

Landscape example

Portrait example

Both of these pictures show that the points of interest, such as the boat in the landscape example and the eyes of the man in the portrait example, are in line with the lines of the rule of thirds grid. 

Counterpoints

When you are using the rule of thirds grid, you can use a counterpoint. What this means is you have a primary focal point and then you place a secondary focal point directly opposite it. This enhances your composition and also makes your picture more interesting. 

Example of Counterpoint

Sources - http://digital-photography-school.com/rule-of-thirds/

             http://learnprophotography.com/rule-of-thirds

                  http://www.ultimate-photo-tips.com/photography-rule-of-thirds.html