Rules

Lily Pads at the Arboretum

On the way to class, someone mentioned the arboretum.  "The arbo-what?"  Clearly, I had never heard of the botanical garden here at Penn State, much less been to it.  Last weekend, after getting an outrageously large portion of (delicious) ice cream from the Berkey creamery, I was lucky enough to spend an afternoon at Penn State's little oasis.

Though I was a stranger to the term arboretum, I am not a stranger to natural beauty by any means.  I live fifteen minutes from one of the premier botanical gardens in the United States, Longwood Gardens, and I've had my fair share of trips admiring all that it has to offer.  From the expansive tree houses to the famous fountain shows, Longwood has something for everyone.  

Now, the arboretum isn't a thousand acres large or as well known as Longwood Gardens, but that just added to the charm of the place.  It was a tranquil, more private atmosphere—a great atmosphere to take some photos in peace.

The lily ponds in particular stood out to me on the bright, sunny day where the reflections were especially bold.   The exposure turned out great.  The water counterparts to the vegetation are crisp, and the aqua-gradient from top to bottom is smooth.  However, you might think the photo is busy, with lots of little components in a condensed area.

Don't worry, the rule of thirds is here to save the day.  No, it's not a formula to solve matrices.  It's a fundamental compositional tool for photographers.  The rule of thirds adds another dimension to your photos.  Though some photos look best when the subject is centered, the rule of thirds allows photos to bring order to chaos or otherwise achieve a dynamic feel.  Let me show you what I mean.

Bringing Order to Chaos

The Lily Pads with a 3x3 grid superimposed

The secret to the rule of thirds lies within a three by three grid.  The human eye perceives subjects along these lines (or even better, on intersections,) as aesthetically pleasing.  In this case, the apparent disorder within the pond suddenly becomes structured.  The four main pads all run along the vertical lines and the horizontal thirds all contain similar types of plant.  The disarray increases every horizontal third.  I could go on for days, but I'm sure you got the gist.  

Off center subjects can add a sense of motion to your photographs, and using this trick can be a great change from subject-centered work.

It was too nice of a day to leave with just one picture, so I took some more:

Myriad of Flowers

Here, I focused more on color differentiation.  Finding a workable color palette for the flowers took a bit of time, considering many of the plants were past their optimal blossoming stage.  The rule of thirds enhances the depth of the photo and creates contrast.  Notice, however, the looser implementation of the rule of thirds.  "The rule of thirds" is just a name and by no means is it a law.

Achieve a Dynamic Feel

The Sundial at the Arboretum (no lines)

Lines added to expose rule of thirds

Off center subjects can add a sense of motion to your photographs, and using this trick can be a great change from subject-centered work.

This photo of this stone sundial uses the rule of thirds to imply movement.  The point of the dial almost exactly coincides with the top right intersection and its isolation in that corner draws the eyes to it immediately.  The horizon aligns with the bottom third's line and lays a strong foundation for the picture.  The clouds' perpendicularity to the dial creates a contrast that enhances the dynamic feel of the photo as a whole.

Rules are integral in life—they bring order to an otherwise chaotic world. Sometimes, though, breaking them is necessary.  Go try something new or step out of your comfort zone.  Don't take anything too seriously and experiment.  You might end up doing discovering something you soon won't be able to live without (like photography)!