The Phoblographer

Bokeh is what we often think about for fast aperture lenses, but remember they have way more uses than just that!

The truth is that experienced, passionate photographers know a lot better. We know bokeh isn’t the only reason to choose a fast aperture lens, but it’s a major reason. If you’re a Leica shooter, then chances are you’ve got more sense than this. But if you shoot with any other system, you’ll go for the fastest lens possible. We don’t need them per se. Personally speaking, I don’t own a single Sony lens faster than f1.8. And truer than that, you probably aren’t using fast aperture lenses to their fullest effects. So let’s dive into that.

The Obvious: Stability

At least to us, this is an obvious one. Stability is huge. Even though faster aperture lenses are heavier, they can help with stability. More light hitting the sensor or the film plane means that you can shoot faster. A faster shutter speed gets you more stability. That results in sharper photos. Even though most camera systems have image stabilization built-in, this matters. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve encountered photographers who couldn’t shoot slower than 1/125th because of poor technique.

Of course, using a flash with a fast aperture lens is also possible. And the effects of flash duration can mitigate shaky hands. The best thing to do is to couple this with good form.

Here’s an infographic on how to hold a camera. It works no matter your gender. And here’s a snippet from our blog post:

“There are different sides to the coin here. I’ve been scolded by men older, lamer, and with something to hide that you should always deflate your lungs when shooting and that army snipers do this. I can tell you that this isn’t necessarily true. But the rationale behind it is pretty logical. Think of a balloon, it doesn’t move around at all when it’s fully deflated. But when it’s filled with air, it can move on its own.”

Apply this to using your fast aperture lenses, and you’ll be all set.

Fast Aperture Lenses, Nuclear Level High ISOs and the Digital Effect

Grab a digital camera at 28mm f1.4 and focus out to infinity. If you look at the whole image, loads of the scene will be in focus without any problems. Try to do that with film, and it’s not the case. Why? One part of it has to do with resolution, while the other part has to do with physics. But, if you’re shooting out to infinity wide open, you’ll get more of the scene in focus with digital than you will with film.

Focusing out to infinity, combined with a fast shutter speed, can help you avoid nuclear high ISO levels. This works great for photo walks. If you’re shooting a landscape or cityscape at night, shooting wide open helps. It’s pretty critical if you’re not using a tripod. But no matter what, you’ll only get this effect when working with digital. We’ve never seen it happen with film. This is just another trick of fast aperture lenses.

As a Story Telling Technique

Lastly, fast aperture lenses are great for storytelling. One could say it’s for the bokeh, bt the truth is that it’s more for making people pay attention to something specific. Cinema does this all the time. Have your subject in focus, and then blur out the rest of the background. But, don’t use it with any hopes that you’re going to get great bokeh. Instead, use it to make your subject pop more.

To do that, make sure the background has a contrasting color from your subject’s clothing and skin tones. Effective lighting helps with that.

All images by Per Schorn. Used with permission.

“I noticed that there are certain situations that just don’t get caught by a human eye”, says Per Schorn from Frankfurt. During one of his overseas shoots, what started as an idea turned into a project that has received multiple awards internationally.

Want to be featured? Send us your project.

Schorn’s execution of this project reinforces my belief that personal projects boost the confidence of professional photographers. For over 11 years, I was a part-time photographer shooting commercially on the weekends, balancing this with my day job. I used to, and still, jot down photo project ideas in a notebook. Being able to conceptualize, plan, and execute these ideas helped me become more confident. Each new project I completed made me more self-assured of my skills. Despite it taking over three years from concept to execution, Schorn’s efforts paid off: Stumble is one of the most vivid and eye-catching sections of his portfolio.

The Phoblographer: Was this a commissioned series or something you did as a passion project?

Per Schorn: The series started as an idea about 6 years ago when I was working in Los Angeles on another series. I noticed that there are certain situations that just don’t get caught by a human eye including for example falling. That was how the idea started. I took some time in Los Angeles and started with the first tests right away.

The Phoblographer: If commissioned, what was the brief behind it and what was the client intending to portray with the series?

Per Schorn: It was a free project, but once it was finished I was asked by an agency if they could present it to a client. They did but the client didn’t like the idea so it remained a free series to show clients what kind of photography I am doing.

The Phoblographer: You’ve studied and were also a lecturer in Communications Design. Talk to us about how you got into photography.

Per Schorn: I first got into photography in 9th grade in school, when I took a photography class and learned how to take photos and develop films etc. I had so much fun in this class that I used my second Name to join the class again in 10th grade. After 10th grade, I knew I would become a photographer and first did an apprenticeship before studying. While studying I was working as a freelance assistant to put my theoretical knowledge into practice.

The Phoblographer: I’m curious to know how these images were executed. Were they all shot on location completely or were the models and props shot in studio first?

Per Schorn: It was the other way round. Like I said I had the idea in Los Angeles and started searching for locations there. I wanted to do this series completely in the streets, but for some reason I couldn’t find a talent who was interested in the idea, so I photographed the backplates in Los Angeles and the talents once I got back home to Frankfurt.

The Phoblographer: This looks like it was a really fun series to have been a part of. On average, how many retakes were required to get the perfect stumble shot?

Per Schorn: The photos were really fun, once we had the first few images photographed we knew which body part of the model was looking like he or she is actually falling and which didn’t. So after every falling we analyzed the photos and the talents implemented my ideas for the next round. It was amazing to see how perfectly they worked on every new fall. Also we let them have the items in their hand they were pretending to let fall. So the oranges, papers, coffee and balloons were falling along with the talents. They were each falling for 50 to 70 times, depending on when I knew we had the perfect image.

The Phoblographer: What influenced the thought process behind choosing the various models, outfits, and props for each shot?

Per Schorn: I chose talents I already knew from other jobs I did before and I knew that they would perform the way I wanted them to. The only talent I worked with for the first time was Julianna ...

The fine art photographer is usually experimenting with lots of ways to make new images.

The essence of a fine art photographer is summarized in one word: play. They’re often playing around and trying new things far more than other photographers. They don’t care about algorithms. They march to their own drum. And most of all, they often don’t have much of a budget to work with. Sometimes their creations are born out of pure boredom. But these tools won’t bore them at all. We went into our Reviews Index to find some of the most fun things to satiate your creative appetite.

The Phoblographer’s various product round-up features are done in-house by our staff. Our philosophy is simple: you wouldn’t get a Waygu beef steak review from a lifelong vegetarian. And you wouldn’t get photography advice from someone who doesn’t touch the product. We only recommend gear we’ve thoroughly reviewed. If you’re wondering why your favorite product didn’t make the cut, there’s a chance it’s on another list. If we haven’t reviewed it, we won’t recommend it. This method keeps our lists packed with industry-leading knowledge.

Pro Tips for the Fine Art Photographer

Here are some essential tips for the Fine Art Photographer. Keep these in mind when picking gifts:

Try to create your own in-camera profiles.

Creation happens in the camera. But it doesn’t need to stop there. You can play around a lot in Photoshop. But it’s a whole lot more fun to do it all in-camera.

Use your camera’s multiple exposure modes.

Some cameras have a mode called Live Composite. It composites images together over time. Give it a try!

Don’t shy away from the black and white modes in the camera.

Most cameras have cool filters like a toy effect or a cross-process look. Use those with these products, and you’ll have a whole lot of fun.

Shoot longer exposures often. You’ll photograph a world that looks like a painting.

Tiffen Pro-Mist 1/4 Filter: The Halation and Haze Effect

“When walking around with the Pro Mist filters, we found it really hard to not like what we shot. Sometimes we wished the effect was even stronger than what it was. But with the 1/4 filter, you’re going to really like shooting into direct lighting. Practically speaking, I thought it was going to affect autofocus performance. Afterall, you’re basically making the image softer. But thankfully, that wasn’t the case.”

Lensbaby Omni Pack: The Fine Art Photographer Meets Character

“Modern cameras and lenses can sometimes be too sharp and clinical. They lack the imperfections that sometimes give images unique optical characteristics. As a photographer who occasionally likes to introduce distortions and other lighting effects into my photos for added visual impact, the Lensbaby OMNI Creative Filter System allows it with ease, and without having to juggle between different crystals and prisms in one hand while holding a camera in the other. The magnetic Effect Wands stay put securely onto the Filter Ring thanks to powerful, rare earth magnets and can easily be re-positioned and adjusted to generate a near infinite amount of interesting in-camera effects without having to resort to adding them in post-production via Photoshop (cheating). My only wish is that Lensbaby will offer custom Effect Wands in the future so I can affix my own collection of crystals and prisms to them that I’ve amassed over the years.”

7Artisans 50mm f1.1: Grab an Adapter for This One

In our review we state:

“Oh man, am I in love with this lens. Want that soft look? You can get it. Want that super sharp look? It’s got that. Want lens flare? Oh man, does this lens control it just right! The 7Artisans 50mm f1.1 surely has character to it. In the same way that I’ve always felt that Leica, Zeiss and Voigtlander lenses have a specific character to them, so too does this one. I don’t think that it’s meant to be 100% perfect but it’s surely gorgeous in every single way.”

Buy Now

The Leica 35mm f1.4 Summilux ASPH lens will appeal to the person who loves the 35mm field of view.

They’re pricey, but they’re often worth it. That’s how I often describe Leica lenses often. The Leica 35mm f1.4 Summilux ASPH fits the bill in many ways. There’s beautiful image quality, nice colors, it’s small, well built, and there’s a justified sense of prideful ownership. I’ve used the lens many times over the years, but I never completed a full review. Time and time again, I always found myself blissfully content with the Leica 35mm f1.4 Summilux ASPH. If you were to ever get just one lens for the Leica M mount, this is the one to go for. Alternatively, you could buy the lens and adapt it to any mount you want.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Small

Well built

Sharp image quality

Beautiful colors

Nice bokeh

It’s almost impossible to make someone look bad with this lens.

Cons

Quite the price tag.

Too Long, Didn’t Read

Hands down, the Leica 35mm f1.4 Summilux ASPH is the only lens you need for the Leica M mount. Any other lens you get will only be the cherry on top of the sundae. This lens has it all.

Innovations

The Leica 35mm f1.4 Summilux ASPH has been out for several years. It’s not doing anything new, but there aren’t many 35mm lenses for the M mount. As far as pricing goes, this sits at the top.

Gear Used

We tested the Leica 35mm f1.4 Summilux ASPH on the Leica SL2s and the Leica M6.

Tech Specs

Specs are taken from the LensRentals listing. Rent one to give it a try!

The Leica 35mm f1.4 Summilux M ASPH II is an ultra high-speed wide-angle lens. Key features include:

Great for landscape photography

Outstanding image quality across the aperture range

Floating element design to ensure high resolution

“6-bit” coding stores lens information in image metadata

Advanced Optical Design. The Leica 35mm f/1.4 Summilux M ASPH II is characterized by exceptionally brilliant contrast, superb resolution and detail rendition, and virtually coma-free images. The complex optical design—which includes an aspherical lens surface—produces an image quality that’s unsurpassed in compact 35mm lenses, even at full aperture.

High-Quality Build. This updated version of the 35mm features a floating element, meaning that the lenses behind the aperture blades are constructed as a floating group that changes its position relative to the front lens group during focusing to achieve high-quality performance at closer focusing distances. The new full-metal, rectangular, screw-mount lens hood contributes significantly to this lens’s compact dimensions.

Automatic Lens Identification. This lens features “6-bit” coding, which allows the digital M camera to read this information optically and to identify which lens is being used. The camera can then apply optional “final-stage” software-based vignetting correction.

Ergonomics

The Leica 35mm f1.4 Summilux ASPH is a beautiful lens. Overall, it’s also very minimal, depending on who you ask. Of course, it isn’t minimal when you compare it to autofocus lenses. But those are a different beast.

Here are the only main controls on this lens. There is an aperture ring and a focusing scale. Behind that, you can see the zone focusing scale. This will help you get focus pretty easily.

The Leica 35mm f1.4 Summilux ASPH is built like most other Leica M mount lenses. It’s made of metal. There’s an aperture ring, a smooth focusing ring, and a metal lens hood that you can get. Ultimately, these lenses are built very solidly. However, no M mount lens that I know of has been weather sealed. I think it can be done: if we kept thinking it can’t be done, the M5 and the M9 would’ve never been made.

Ease of Use

The Leica 35mm f1.4 Summilux ASPH isn’t a lens for a beginner. People who have never manually focused before will probably become annoyed with it unless they change the way they shoot. But if you’ve been manually focusing for years, this will be a breeze to use.

Focusing

Focusing is done manually. The Leica 35mm f1.4 Summilux ASPH has a dis...

These are the folks who love what medium format can do for them.

Fujifilm celebrates a long history in the medium format world. Before the Fujifilm GFX system came around, they were in medium format film. Folks loved Velvia, Astia, Pro 400H, and much more. Those looks and a bunch of others have been brought to the digital photography world, and you can get them through film simulations. You don’t even need to do any major post-production. Just shoot in Classic Negative if you want that look! We talked to a bunch of photographers over the years. Here are some of our favorites using the Fujifilm GFX system.

We’ve reviewed tons of Fujifilm gear. In fact, we’ve reviewed pretty much every lens for the Fujifilm GFX system. You can check out our lens guide right here. If you’re intrigued, take a look at the Fujifilm Store on Amazon.

Katarina Premfors Shoots Documentary Photos in the Middle East

In our interview, she states:

“Since the pandemic, I have been working on a personal project: The Wall Between Us. This is the chronological story of the wall that divides our house from our neighbor’s. Walls are built to separate. They keep us safe from intrusion, protect our privacy from peering eyes, mark a clear line between what belongs and what does not. As the pandemic rapidly changed the world outside our wall, we could feel the aftershocks within. In February, schools shut their doors for an early spring break, not to open again for the rest of the academic year. New words were added to our vocabularies almost daily: “Non-Essential Worker,” “Social Distancing,” and finally, “Lockdown.” Unable to step outside our walls for anything other than essential, permitted purposes, I turned my eye to what was around us.”

Matt Stanman Feels Calm but Invigorated by Landscape Photography

“I got into landscapes because I really love nature and wanted to try to capture the experience of being in a specific environment. I feel so calm and yet invigorated when I see a great landscape image. So it’s really the genre that speaks to me. I think that it is one of the most challenging types of photography to do well; a lot of things have to go right in order to make an incredible landscape image. When I first got into landscapes I thought it might be easy, just show up in a beautiful location and get the photo.”

Dewey Keithly Did the Coolest Thing with a Fujifilm GFX 100

In our interview, he said:

“The main reasons were because of the large sensor and the IBIS. While shooting cars it’s good to have a larger sensor because of what the images could be used for. I can crop in depending on what the creative director is seeing too. We really wanted to test the IBIS while mounted to the car. I’ve shot moving objects with this camera before and it went well. It was really important to make sure it could withstand the speed of the camera car. It worked very well. Also, shooting digital medium format with a body that isn’t 20lbs is pretty cool.”

These are the camera deals you care about.

Get excited! If you’re a Sony user, we found camera deals for you. There’s also great stuff from Nikon, Tamron, and a bunch of others. You could save $300 on the Panasonic S5, which we highly praise. Best of all, we’re plugging the camera manufacturers directly. That’s right, each of these companies has its own stores on Amazon. So when you make a purchase, they’re seeing the most money: it isn’t going to another company. So, if you really wanted to show your brand support, here’s how to do it.

These camera deals aren’t going to be around forever. Statistically speaking, the Mother’s Day/Father’s Day time period is when you’ll usually find the best deals and discounts. The only thing better is Black Friday and the holidays. You might as well grab something new before you start your summer. Even if you own a camera, there’s no reason to not grab a great new lens.

As you look through this short round up of links, you’ll find something from a brand that you really want. Tamron lenses have some of the best value on the market. In fact, it’s pretty possible to get everything you want in their package. Nikon has made some major autofocus improvements, and a new lens can take advantage of that. Sony is the tried and true for many photographers around the world. And of course, there’s all that renewed and refurbished gear. Much of it has been reconditioned to basically be brand new. If you aren’t sure about a purchase, try our search bar or our Reviews Index.

Deals over at The Nikon Store on Amazon

Deals over at the Sony Store on Amazon

Deals over at the Tamron Store on Amazon

Special offers at the Olympus Store on Amazon

Deals over at the Panasonic Store on Amazon

Great prices at the Renewed Cameras Store on Amazon

A bunch of renewed camera kits

The Canon 5D Mk II completely changed the photo industry.

I can remember when the Canon 5D Mk II was announced. To this day, it’s still one of the most iconic and important cameras of my career. A few other cameras shot video before it, but none did it like the Canon 5D Mk II. And more importantly, none got an important firmware update to make them even more usable. When the Canon 5D Mk II launched, it was a high-resolution camera with great high ISO output. It also happened to shoot cinematic quality video. These days, we’d be shocked if a camera didn’t do that. What this camera did completely changed the way imaging was perceived.

Suddenly, anyone with a little bit of money could be a cinematic filmmaker. Entire industries popped up to support the Canon 5D Mk II. And other companies started to take notice. They put video in their cameras too! It was perfect. I remember being in college and being told that I had to learn how to do everything. Photography? Writing? Shooting video? Editing? We were the first generation to be told we had to learn to do it all. We were hired to replace entire teams. The Canon 5D Mk II was perfect for that generation.

From that, cameras had to have video and support in some way or another. They needed viable firmware updates. A lot changed that is now the standard. Arguably, we haven’t seen anything like it until the Sony a9 revolutionized autofocus and autofocus in video. The Sony a7s showed us how good video in low light could be. And the Canon EOS R5 showed us how good image stabilization could be.

To think that all this would have never happened if the Canon 5D Mk II weren’t what it was is a bit wrong to say. The industry and market were demanding interchangeable lens DSLRs that could shoot video. If DSLRs didn’t do it, mirrorless would have. And if mirrorless didn’t, then Apple would’ve found a way to fully kill the traditional camera.

The Canon 5D Mk III and the Canon 5D Mk IV never had the same level of impact. Again, this was partially because of the market. And the market is a completely different place these days. There’s a healthy amount of innovation happening with an unhealthy amount of things being the same. We’ve got a medium format camera under $6,000 with 100MP and image stabilization. We’ve also got a full-frame camera that has up to 10 stops of image stabilization. And who can forget the full-frame camera with 30fps shooting at 50MP? Or the camera with an IP rating that can survive some of the toughest climate conditions. Finally, who can forget the camera that had Android packed into it? Or Lightroom?

Still though we have yet to see how these are changing the way we create. As of now, nothing really is changing that. There’s so much out there from not only cameras but phones. People create content every day using their phones. And the manufacturers are trying really hard to win over customer dollars. But, even in the pandemic, little has fundamentally changed the way we’re creating. It’s going to be a while until we’re streaming 8k video content for sure.

My name is Adam Smith. Photography has been part of my life, as it has been for many others growing up. Film cameras came everywhere with us on family outings in our home state of Michigan and other states around the Great Lakes. At this point, photography was a means of keeping a record of memories—not an art form. I became seriously interested in photography in 2009 when I was gifted a Nikon P-90 for Christmas by my wife and mother-in-law. It replaced my Nikon L-4 (I purchased from my older brother) and transformed my view of what is possible with a camera. The Nikon L-4 was limiting. I took the Nikon P-90 everywhere with me. To the store, on walks and hikes, and to the skate park where I enjoyed afternoons on my BMX bike. I took so many pictures with it. The camera inspired confidence. It told my story. But my favorite camera is the Panasonic FZ-20.

I received many compliments on my work, at one point even selling prints. I was able to share my love of the outdoors and adventure.

I was hooked.

Since 2009, I have cultivated my current creative vision through many years of experimenting and finding my style. I have done weddings, senior portraits, and other paid work. However, most of my work has been dedicated to the out-of-doors and its spectacular beauty. Northern Michigan is rich in natural areas and preserves and is where I spend a great deal of time. Though I am by no means the first, my current creative vision is fueled by my desire to share the beauty in what may seem ‘everyday’ or ‘mundane.’ Every living being on this planet is important. Humans are not on a pedestal. We are part of—not apart from—the rest of the planet’s inhabitants.

I find inspiration in the countless individuals around the world that share my love of the outdoors, in those who are true to themselves as photographers (such as Thomas Heaton), and to those photographers who came before us. I am inspired by my belief that compact digital cameras are not outdated and incapable of photographic tools. While I can certainly see the value in modern gear, I feel that older gear still has a place in 2021. New is not always better. I want to show the photographic world that a digital relic can produce results.

Image quality is not everything (as seems to be the popular notion within the industry). I have placed a greater focus on what I refer to as ‘memory quality.’ After all, is that not an important aspect of the photographic process? Memory quality is the ability of a camera to match the vision within the mind’s eye. It’s a bit spiritual. Qualitative over quantitative. Compact cameras can deliver this quality.

Above all, I am inspired by my wife. She is always encouraging me to pursue my passion for photography and self-expression. I cannot thank her enough.

My favorite camera is currently the Panasonic Lumix FZ-20. It has many of the features that deliver the memory quality I seek. These features include a constant f2.8 aperture Leica 12X lens (with a manual focus ring on the lens barrel), a metal tripod socket, a factory adapter tube and lens hood, and an intuitive menu system. The camera also has ergonomics that fit my hands perfectly–an important consideration in sharp images when a tripod is not always convenient. I also find that the left-side EVF is ingenious. As a bonus, the camera has a classic look.

The camera produces images at 5 megapixels. Yes, it is 2021. Five megapixels is so 2004…right? However, I don’t require a ton of pixels for the work I produce. I don’t crop (hardly ever) and never print anything larger than a small poster. So why bother with extra pixels that will just take up space on my computer? I love the way the camera renders images. So beautiful. Five megapixels are plenty.

Most importantly, the camera inspires me. Why use a camera that does not inspire?

I came across this camera while looking through an online auction site. I had recalled the praise other Lumix cameras received from family members over the years and became ...

We’re pretty sure you can’t tell the difference between a film preset and a film scan.

If you look around on loads of Facebook groups and Instagram accounts, they’ll try to pass off film presets for the real thing. Sometimes folks will think that their images really are how film looks. But that’s not always true. In fact, a lot of the time it couldn’t be any further from the truth. Luckily for you, we’ve reviewed a ton of film emulsions and even used a bunch of the preset editors. We’re giving you a bit of a challenge. Can you tell me what’s a film scan and what’s a film preset? Our answers are all the way at the bottom of the post. How many can you get right?

Kodak Tri-X: Can You Guess?

Kodak Tri-x is a very tough one to guess correctly. First off, we’re not saying which emulsion. And the look is essentially just black and white film with more pronounced mid-tones. Lots of folks think they know the look of Tri-X. But they don’t. What do you think? Which photos are real film scans? Which photos are presets? Are some of these presets with a dust simulation on them?

Kodak T-Max: Really?

T-Max is a bit more difficult. It’s not as well know as Tri-X and it has a totally different grain structure. Think you can figure it out? Here’s a hint, it’s the sharpest black and white film on the market. But are we using the sharpest lenses? Or are these a preset from a popular company?

Kodak Portra: Which One?

Everyone and their mother likes to think that they know the Kodak Portra look. But the truth is that it varies so much from scene to scene. I’m positive most folks wouldn’t be able to figure it out. Most of what you see out there are presets. I’d be truly amazed if most folks can scan and shoot Portra that well. I’m expecting this one to be much more challenging because there are so many different types of Kodak Portra emulations. Is it 800? Is it 160 VC?

More importantly, how are we getting such balanced lighting in these photos? They have to be digital, right?

Fujifilm Velvia: This Can’t be It!

Velvia can really be a tougher one to figure out too. Fujifilm has a film simulation for it. And that’s really how one could think that it looks all the time. But there are two different Velvia films. They all look so much different based on the format. Can you guess what we’re doing with these images?

Kodak Ektachrome: Is this Real?

Arguably my favorite slide film ever is Kodak Ektachrome. It was re-released a few years ago. Can you tell if these are the film or a preset?

Fujifilm Acros: Film Simulation?

I’m expecting this one to be the absolute toughest choice here. Are these scans or presets? Alternatively, are these images all done with the Fujifilm Acros simulation? What do you think? We’ve shot the last batch of Acros that came out before the discontinuation. And we’ve reviewed the new one. When we review Fujifilm cameras, we always love the Acros simulation. So what, are we pulling a fast one on you here?

The answer: All of these images were taken by Phoblographer staff over the years. They’re all film scans.

Want more useful photography tips? Click here!

Technically speaking, the photo above could be awful according to the rule of thirds. When you first start out in photography, you probably center your subject. It’s inevitable. And it’s also just aesthetically the most pleasing until we start to learn more. In truth, ignorance is bliss. But you’ve probably never realized something really fascinating about the rule of thirds. However, I think that all the great photographers who came before us and shot film surely did. You’d probably even know this if you worked with early digital. The truth is that most photographers end up using the focusing points closer to the center anyway. Why? According to the rule of thirds, your subjects should more or less be just off-center. In the most basic sense, that’s the lazy way around the rule.

If you like this post, consider picking up a book on the Rule of Thirds in photography. It’s bound to help you out even more.

The Rule of Thirds

Fact: if artificial intelligence told you that your image was bad because you centered your subject, you’d probably wonder why. It would instead tell you to put your subject in the rule of thirds. But an AI has no concept of emotion or moment. However, lots of AI and useful photography tips tell you to compose based on the rule of thirds. So let’s look at it.

This graph right above shows you the rule of thirds. According to this, you’re supposed to compose along those lines and the intersections. Those are just general rules to how to compose your scenes. This can be done in-camera or by cropping later on. But think of it like tic-tac-toe. When you’re playing, you always want the center spot. It gives you the most advantage. And like tic-tac-toe, the rule of thirds is telling you to go for the center. But you’re also going just off of it. Alternatively, you could look at the center as an extensive area of the frame.

Could you think of this as a bullseye instead? Not really. A bullseye is the dead center of a target. The rule instead wants you to go for precision instead of accuracy. What do I mean by that? It wants you to repeatedly get your subject in the areas around those intersections. It doesn’t need to be in the exact spot each and every time. That’s the difference between precision and accuracy.

Composing

An example of using the rule of thirds as well as selective focus to define depth.

The rule of thirds doesn’t take a bunch of other things into consideration, though. For starters, we mentioned the moment and emotion above. But there’s also composing by the depth of field. And color. You can use them all together to create a more effective photo.

But essentially, when you think about it, consider rethinking the rule. Don’t call it that. Rename as “just off-center.” If you’re using continuous autofocus, tracking, and center point focus, you can basically focus and recompose the camera. The camera will track the subject as you move it around. Of course, that’s providing that your subject is staying still. Still not understanding?

Try This

Set your camera to the center autofocus point

Turn on focus tracking

Turn on continuous autofocus

Turn on the rule of thirds overlay grid

Center your subject in the frame

Focus on a subject and keep the focus locked

Slightly move your camera until your subject is in one of the intersection points of the frame.

Adjust to taste

That’s all you need to do. It’s the positively most lazy way around the rule of thirds. But in the most rudimentary sense, it’s also the most effective.