Freshwater

Figure 21-1:
The rule
of thirds
is a timehonored
way of
achieving
attractive
composition
in photography.
Using the rule of thirds
One general rule of composition that always produces a pleasing balance is
to place the subject at the intersection of imaginary lines dividing the entire
scene into thirds, horizontally and vertically, as shown in Figure 21-1. This
simple but effective placement of subjects, known as the rule of thirds, often
gives excellent results. If there are other lines in the picture, try to arrange
them in such a way that something about them leads the viewer’s eye toward
the main subject.
Panning the scene
To obtain unique photos that stand out from the rest, try taking pictures of
interesting moments, such as mating rituals or feeding sessions. Another fun
thing to experiment with is a specialized effect such as panning — following
a fish with the camera as the fish swims: You simply continue moving the
camera in the direction the fish is swimming as you depress the shutter. The
effect is a fish that’s mostly in focus but with a blurred afterimage and background
that can be quite interesting as it captures motion over time. To get
the most realistic photo, keep the camera on the same horizontal plane as
the fish. (If you suddenly look down and can see the back of your knees, you
probably tilted too far down.)
Camera's
Viewing Area
Chapter 21: Recording Data and Photographing Fish
The rule of thirds involves centering your main subject at a
point where imaginary lines intersect at "thirds" as shown.
Main Subject
Area Where
Lines Intersect
Main Subject
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