[Tutorial 6] Basic rules of photography

Hi everyone, here's a tipsy tutorial to improve your photos. In photography there's the 3 basic rules, here they are for your own enjoyment.

1. Place for the view.
When you take a picture and your model is looking somewhere at the left or the right, you HAVE to leave space where your model is looking. So if your model is looking to the left, your model is supposed to be at the right of the photo so there is space on the left to see what he is looking at or, at least, leave some space for the view in the direction of the look.

2. Place for the movement.
If your model is walking, running or what so ever movement he could do, you must left space for the movement (if he isn't moving to the camera). So if your model is walking to the left or his body is facing in a obvious way to the left, leave space on the left side of the photo.

3. Rule of thirds.
What is the rule of thirds. In fact it's cutting a photo in three part (horizontal or vertical). It helps to put the emphasis on something. Here's an example.

This is a photo where my model (Pedro Lopez) is centered.


You might think it is beautiful but it could be more beautiful. Here's how : You cut the photo in three parts, you see the red dots? That is where the focus has to be.


Now slide the picture on the right spot (here my model is looking to the left, I'll put him more on the right to leave space on the left)


Here's how it looks at the end! It's more beautiful isn't it? (Well, I think it's more beautiful but at the beginning we don't really see the difference sometimes)


*If your model is laying on the ground or anything else (or flying, or glued to the roof (The last exorcism, thank you!), etc.) you have to follow the same rules except on the horizontal way. If your model is looking over him, lave space on top of him. If he's looking below him, leave space under him. Remember to put your model of the focus points. It is really important.

4. Exceptions.
-If your model is looking to the left and his body is facing to the right. You must follow the the eyes so you'll leave space on the left.
-If your model is facing forward and his eyes does so too, put your model on the left of the photo, leave space to the right side. "Why?" are you gonna say, because European way of reading is from the left to the right, from the top to the bottom. Plus, if your model is on the right side of the photo, it has a bad meaning, it means that there's something wrong. Moreover, the human eyes (european, at least) don't like it, it looks strange.

5. Little tip for a landscape picture.
If you want to take a picture of a landscape, here's how it works :
1. Foreground (It's the first thing that we see so it's the most important)
2. Second Plan (It's the second thing the most important of the picture, it's the decor. In most case of landscape it's a farm or a fence or anything like that, it can also be a mound or a mountain)
3. Third Plan (It's the least important, when you take a picture of a landscape it's, in the most case, the sky)

very helpful tutorial Simon ! thank you

You're welcome! ^^

Very useful, thanks !