What is the rule of thirds?
This is one of the easiest ways to start thinking about composition – and your camera can help too
The rule of thirds is a composition technique for both stills and video, where you divide your frame into a grid of nine equal rectangles, three rows of three, and align subjects with the lines and intersections. This tends to create images that the human brain finds balanced, engaging and aesthetically pleasing.
How to use the grid
You will often see the rule of thirds used most obviously in landscapes, but it can be used in any genre. Perhaps the horizon is on the horizontal line that divides the bottom third, giving two-thirds of the image to a dramatic sky. Or maybe only the upper third is sky and all the important action is happening in the lower two-thirds.
A main subject can be placed either in the centre of the image, or at an intersection of two lines. There are four main intersections in the middle of the grid, which are sometimes known as ‘power points’ or ‘crash points’.
Although it’s called the ‘rule’ of thirds, it’s more of a starting point and a helpful guideline. It can be a way to achieve well-balanced compositions quickly, especially when starting out as a photographer or filmmaker but, like many rules, it’s made to be ignored and broken when it doesn’t align with your particular vision for a picture.
Setting up your camera to use the rule of thirds
You can easily set up a rule of thirds grid on the monitor or EVF of your Nikon Z mirrorless camera by going to the Custom Settings menu (the pencil icon) and then selecting d for Shooting/Display, choosing Grid Type and setting it to 3x3.
You can also use the rule of thirds when editing images. Simply use the crop tool and you can explore your existing images to see if they bring out something new when the rule of thirds is applied.
Check out more on composition tips, things to try with landscapes and grids to use for food photography.
More in Camera 101
New to Nikon?
For limitless creativity