# View finder Help: Rule of thirds



## eninja (May 26, 2013)

I'm using 6D. Recently, I rented 24-105. Upon reviewing my pics, my composition was not good. I used to have grid lines on my Powershot g12.

Can anyone enlighten me, 

How does the photographer apply rule of third when there is no grid? 

How they trained themselves to compose nicely using only the diamond pattern focus point?

Or is it that Real Photographer don't use any grid guides at all, but uses their visual skills?


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## neuroanatomist (May 26, 2013)

Personally, I pretty much know where the thirds-points are without a grid or the AF points.


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## bholliman (May 26, 2013)

neuroanatomist said:


> Personally, I pretty much know where the thirds-points are without a grid or the AF points.



I do the same. Sometimes I'm off a little, but can generally crop a little to achieve the composition I'm looking for.

If you use Live View there is a 3x3 grid option.


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## pensive tomato (May 26, 2013)

As Neuro suggested, it's quite useful to train yourself to place the intersecting points from the rule of thirds without using a grid. With repeated practice, you can find out what points in the frame fit your shooting style and subjects better.

Now, if you want some help from your camera, the 6D can display the usual rule of thirds grid while using liveview (you get a couple more options there as well). Alternatively, you can use the Canon Eg-D grid focusing screen, which would show additional grid lines in your viewfinder, although those are not intended to match the rule of thirds grid.


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## privatebydesign (May 26, 2013)

Don't get too caught up in _"the *rule* of thirds"_, for a start it isn't a rule, and for another there are lots of other "rules" one can follow for good composition that have nothing to do with the thirds.

There is the Golden Ratio, Golden Spiral, Thirds, Squares, Diagonals etc etc just as the geometric "rules"!

One practical key is to scan the image in the viewfinder before releasing the shutter, so once I am happy I will roll my eye around the edge of the frame to consciously look for distracting or unbalanced compositional elements.


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## docholliday (May 26, 2013)

It's actually pretty easy to do without a grid, just imagine a # sign drawn evenly into your field of view. You really don't need a full grid screen, unless you are shooting architecture and want straight lines (with my TS-E, I always have the grid in). With macro work, I usually have the micrometer screen in. I don't always compose to the "rules" - there are reasons to break them (once you've learned them). My favorite is still on Hasselblad with a waist-level finder - you back away from the finder without the magnifier flipped up so you can "see" what the final composition is like without looking at details. You'd just image that as the final print hanging on a wall and see if it's pleasing, then pop up the mag and do final focus, then firing. 

I do the same on my 1Ds3 - pull my eye away from the finder an inch or so and look at the image as a whole to see if my frame is pleasing, then check the corners for distractions, DoF preview for depth of field checks, then fire away.


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## eninja (May 27, 2013)

Thanks guys. Now I understand why there is no grud guide as default, because its not universal anyway.
Recently I found head of people I shot in the middle horizontal often.

Thanks for the tips,
Now I am convinced that recompose is a must for 6D.
i usually shoot people,
I think I may not necessarily place my focus point on persons face.
in the chest or other parts will do, to create my composition.

But it will be a challenge for candid shots.

What do you think?


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## jdramirez (May 27, 2013)

usually I make sure the af point is on my subject, snap away, and then compose in light room. it doesn't always work, but when I'm snapping photos on the fly, it does the trick.

I believe you can have the grid lines in live view on a 60d, but I'm not fond of live view.


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## verysimplejason (May 27, 2013)

You can use some of your AF points as a guide even if inactive/active. The grid falls very near those AF points (especially in a 9 pt AF or an 11 pt AF).


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## eninja (May 27, 2013)

When I got home, i re-look into the view finder.
My perspective change.
Now I am aware how bright it is,
its like looking in an arbitrary painting, 
I can now see how easy it is to compose my shot.


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