This week, compose your subject off-center, obeying the Rule of Thirds.
My preferred aesthetic in photography is a minimalist one, and I find that it is easiest to achieve this by obeying the Rule of Thirds when I compose my shot. The Rule of Thirds is a photography concept that puts the subject of the photograph off-center, which usually results in blank space in the rest of the image. If you focus closely on your subject and use a wide aperture, your photograph’s background will also be beautifully blurred in that blank space. The blurred area behind your focal point is referred to as bokeh, and when executed well, it adds depth and artistry to an otherwise simplistic photograph.

A photograph of a redbud leaf in early Spring, demonstrating the Rule of Thirds and beautiful bokeh, by Jen Hooks.
For this week’s photo challenge, choose a subject, then intentionally re-compose your image to obey the Rule of Thirds. You can go a step further and experiment with your camera settings to see how to get lovely bokeh. Hint: start with a low aperture setting by choosing the lowest number that your aperture will go to (most likely 3.5 or lower), or simply set your camera to aperture priority mode, usually designated by an “A”.
For those of you shooting with a smartphone camera, you too can achieve a bokeh effect by bringing your phone close to your subject and selecting where you want your camera to focus. Simply compose your image in your screen, and tap your focal point. You should see your camera autofocus on that area, and the background will fall into a blur. If it doesn’t focus, you’re a little too close. Hold your phone steady, and snap! Because of the nature of phone cameras, it won’t be as creamy of a bokeh as you would get with a traditional camera, but it will still add depth to your image.
To see phoneography bokeh in action, here’s a sample image of some yummy fig and goat cheese toast that I took with my iPhone 5s. Also note that I used the Rule of Thirds in composing that image. Have fun!
Oh this is going to be a hard one.
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you must be joking 🙂 hard one for ya… I don’t think so 🙂
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https://retirenicaragua.wordpress.com/2015/02/20/weekly-photo-challenge-rule-of-thirds/
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that’s fantastic, because I trained my shooting skills and the rule of thirds last week, while enjoying a trip to krakow 🙂 cheers
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here is my entry: http://byswav.com/2015/02/20/weekly-photo-challenge-the-rule-of-thirds/ and a postcard from hong kong: http://byswav.com/2015/02/20/a-postcard-from-victoria-harbour-in-hong-kong/ cheers
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Oh, excellent follow up to last week!
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Square and rectangle variations on the theme – http://followyournose.me/2015/02/21/two-horses-several-cows-three-ways/
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Snow snow snow – squares of it in thirds – http://followyournose.me/2015/02/22/thirds-of-snow/
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Boy, it’s cold out there: http://exploratorius.us/2015/02/20/chesapeake-ice/
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wow, fantastic shot 🙂 and cold as well…
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Seriously… it was freaking cold that day! 🙂
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I believe ya 🙂
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i love rule of thirds 🙂
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Here is my submission for this week rule of third https://photoottawa.wordpress.com/2015/02/20/weekly-photo-challenge-rules-of-third/
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Think I have a shoe box full of such shots. Here is one of them: http://wp.me/p3gqMf-fb
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This thene this week hurts my small brain so I won’t be taking part. Have fun everyone and I look forward to enjoying your photos!
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Thank you for this prompt, it is my favourite rule to shoot by!
http://maraeastern.com/2015/02/20/weekly-photo-challenge-rule-of-thirds/
See?
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I admit I really enjoyed your point of interest in the image.
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Thank you and cheers!
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My entry this week: https://esengasvoice.wordpress.com/2015/02/20/weekly-photo-challenge-rule-of-thirds/
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Who’s ruling whom?
https://insellos.wordpress.com/2015/02/21/weekly-photo-challenge-rule-of-thirds/
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Try this http://ambitiousdrifter.com/2015/02/21/centreoff-centre/
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Rule of the thirds rules in http://marichulambino.com/
…will be back in a third of an hour…
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“Rule of thirds” of a road never trod… at
http://marichulambino.com/2015/02/21/weekly-photo-challenge-rule-of-thirds/
Happy weekend!
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A classic one – love it! Here is mine:
https://varietyoflight.wordpress.com/2015/02/20/rule-of-thirds/
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I am loving the new format. Now, I don’t have to hurry and post a photo because each time I refresh the screen I move down a space in the posts. Thank you so much for this. Great job!
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Here’s my entry. Drops.
https://jaapkroon.wordpress.com/2015/02/20/weekly-photo-challenge-rule-ofthirds/
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Just stumbled across this page and it might well inspire some of my photos this year as I discover more about photographing….
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Verreh cool!
I am going to be doing the WP photo blog course in March but I am learning a lot even before then 🙂 Thanks!
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lovely 🙂
https://theeclecticeccentricshopaholic.wordpress.com/2015/02/21/rule-of-thirds/
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Mine might not quite be ‘thirds’ but they are close, I think. 🙂 This is a good challenge, and I might try another one over the weekend. https://castelsarrasin.wordpress.com/2015/02/20/rule-of-thirds-weekly-photo-challenge/
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Tips about technique are really helpful. Practice would help even more, but that’s my responsibility, right? Thanks! http://scillagrace.com/2015/02/20/weekly-photo-challenge-rule-of-thirds/
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What an interesting and challenging week – especially for us non-photographers (very much amateur snappers) 🙂
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Here is my entry for this week. ENJOY!
http://ceenphotography.com/2015/02/20/daily-post-weekly-photo-challenge-rule-of-thirds/
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Thanks for the excuse to post flower photos Jen!
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Here are some thoughts on thirds
http://andytownend.com/2015/02/20/rule-of-thirds/
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Ok folks how can you get your post up so fast? I watch my in box for WPC on Friday at 9 and a new post for it comes in at 9:01.How???
Here’s mine https://piecesofstarlight.wordpress.com/2015/02/20/weekly-photo-challenge-three-for-the-law-of-thirds/
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More than a third of the way to the weekend!
https://graphicrealestate.wordpress.com/2015/02/20/photo-challenge-rule-of-thirds/
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My contribution
http://wp.me/p1ZuYK-1bP
Nice evening, everybody.
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This is one for the first things I was told when I took up photography, I’ve started to see the world in grids from all the tie spent composing shots.
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I love the way the photo challenge gives me a reason to post something I would never have thought of.
http://susanrushton.net/2015/02/20/weekly-photo-challenge-sea-bird/
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