Gridlines and the rule of thirds
→ Turn on the grid and place your subject on a third, on purpose
Most holiday photos put everything in the middle: the face, the horizon, the tower. Moving it a little to one side is the quickest way to make a photo feel planned.
Turn on the grid
Your camera can show two horizontal and two vertical lines that divide the screen into nine equal boxes. They never appear in the photo. On an iPhone, open Settings, then Camera, and switch on Grid. On a Pixel, open the settings inside the Camera app and set Grid type to 3×3. On a Samsung Galaxy it is Grid lines in the camera settings; on other Android phones, look for the word Grid there too.[1][2]
Put it on a third
The rule of thirds says: place what matters on one of the grid lines, or where two of them cross, rather than dead centre. Put a person's eyes near the top line. Put the horizon on the lower line if the sky is the interesting part, or on the upper line if the beach or the field is. The empty space left on the other side gives the photo room to breathe, and a person looking into that space feels natural.[3][5]
A guide, not a law
Centre still works when the scene is symmetrical, such as a reflection in a lake or a doorway straight ahead. The point is to choose where things go instead of leaving it to chance. The grid also helps you keep horizons level, which fixes many holiday photos on its own.[3]
New words
- Gridlines
- Two horizontal and two vertical lines on the camera screen that divide it into nine boxes. They never appear in the photo.
- Rule of thirds
- Placing what matters on a grid line, or where two cross, instead of dead centre.
Remember
Turn on the grid and put your subject on a third line or crossing, not dead centre.
Practice: Three horizons
Check yourself
the answers given when this Lesson was finished- How many boxes does the camera grid divide the screen into?
✓ Correct. Two horizontal and two vertical lines make nine equal boxes.
- Where does the rule of thirds suggest putting a horizon?
✓ Correct. On the lower or upper grid line, depending on whether the sky or the ground is more interesting.
- You tap a face on the screen. What does the phone set from that spot?review
✓ Correct. One tap sets both focus and exposure — the Key idea from Lesson 2.
Read next
Cambridge in Colour — Photography TutorialsSean McHugh · siteFree, careful tutorials on light, exposure and composition, including a clear one on the rule of thirds. They apply to any camera, phones included.find it ↗
Ask your teacher
This is a sample course, so the chat is off. Start your own course to ask your teacher.