Why The Rule of Thirds Matters In Photographing Children

Rule of Thirds in Child Photography

When I was young I took lots and lots of photographs of my younger siblings, and quite without realizing it I have intuitively understood why the rule of thirds matters. When the prints would come back and I would show the images to my family they would always remark “My, that camera takes the best pictures!”

In point of fact, applying the rule of thirds in your knowledge of photography composition is probably one of the most important photography tips that you can be in possession of as someone who take pictures of your children or grand children. Why? Because it will give you a lot of enjoyment, and take you to the next step of being able to make some of your best photos as canvas art. You can then have the joy of hanging this canvas art on the walls of your own home, or to even be able to give them as a very special gift to a loved one to cherish!

Composition Is What Will Make Your Photographs Interesting. .

Make a special photo of your children as canvas art

I guess my family never understood that it was the way the photographer composed the picture that made it so interesting. Almost without thinking I would engage the the rule of thirds when snapping my photos, and as I look back on those early photographs I can see how I just naturally did that. Then one day, as an adult many years later, it dawned on me. “It wasn’t the camera that took the great pictures. It was me!” Wow!

An example of proper use of the rule of thirds can be seen in the photograph on the above right with two young children looking for bees in a flower patch.

Notice how the heads of the children are at the corner intersection of the left hand vertical line and lower horizontal line that we saw in the image in our earlier post on the rule of thirds.

Well, my husband is a pilot, and likes to photograph things aviation. But when it comes to having a natural ability to employ the rule of thirds, he is completely devoid of it being natural. So, I have been working with him to think about the composition of his photographs before he takes them.

Because it isn’t natural he struggles a bit, but over time I can see an improvement in the quality of his photographs. They are becoming more interesting, and it seems to be easier for him to think about the composition of his photographs before he takes them.

And if you don’t have the natural “eye” for composition, not to worry. Just be aware of the rule of thirds, imagine those crossing lines in the viewfinder of your camera, and soon enough it will become second nature.

Remember, keep taking lots and lots of photographs of your kids. You will be glad you did!

Betty Muscott, Child Photographer

ps: Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter “Real Kids Photography” here!

About Betty Muscott

Betty A. Muscott is an experienced child photographer and online entrepreneur for tools to capture great photographs of children by parents and grandparents. Connect with Betty on Google+

Link to this page