Introduction

Let me say this right at the start: the rule of thirds is not wrong (so now you know what’s coming!).

It’s not bad advice. It’s not a myth. It’s not useless. In fact, it can be an appropriate  starting point for anyone learning to compose a photograph. It gets people thinking in terms of balance and placement. It encourages you to avoid dead-centre (even when dead center is the composition you should be applying – – we’ll come to that later). And when you first pick up a camera, the Rule of Thirds at least puts you on the starting blocks. 

But here’s the problem: the rule of thirds is often treated as the finish line rather than the starting point. That’s where things start to fall apart. If you’re following it blindly – because you ‘reverse engineered’ somebody else’s photograph – you’ll miss the real opportunities in the scene in front of you – the compositions that have power, subtlety, and emotional weight.

And that’s why I never use it (almost never use it). 

And if you look at these two photos below, they don’t use the rule of thirds, but they do use symmetry, so what’s going on there?

The Rule of Thirds Isn’t the Inspiration

Every photo I take starts the same way – not with rules, but with what I call the moment of inspiration. It’s that split second when something in the scene grabs me. An arrangement of light and shadow. Anything can trigger that reaction.  And it’s never because of the rule of Thirds

That feeling – that spark – is where the photo begins. My job, from that point on, is to build a composition that honours that feeling. And sometimes, placing the subject off-centre just for the sake of the Rule of Thirds gets in the way of that.

If the most expressive, impactful composition is with the subject dead-centre, or tucked close to the edge of the frame (away from those Rule of Thirds intersections ), then that’s where it goes. The intuitive moment decides. Not the rule.

The Rule Assumes You Already Know What the Subject Is

This is something I see a lot, especially with beginners trying to apply the rule of thirds. They’ve heard they should “place the subject on an intersection” –  but they haven’t yet worked out what the subject actually is. Is it the tree? The sunlit rock? That bright area in the mist? The curve in that road?

If you don’t know what the photograph is of, how can you position the subject correctly?

In my own approach to photography, I always identify the subject first. The part of the image I want the viewer’s eye to be drawn to. It’s not always the most obvious thing. It might not even be a solid object. It might be a bright area of colour, or a gap in the trees (rather than the trees).  The subject can be anything, and is particular to the photographer, not the viewer.

Once I’ve decided what the subject is, I decide how to lead the viewer’s eye there – and that means placing it somewhere in the scene, always based on instinct and what feels emotionally right. Sometimes it coincides with the  Rule of Thirds intersection.  But that doesn’t mean  the rule of Thirds was employed.  It just means that by coincidence the Rule of Thirds might have worked on that occasion.

The Rule of Thirds Can Lead to uninspiring photographs

Now and again, I’ll see someone using the rule of thirds – technically – but the photo still feels off. Something about it is awkward, like it’s just lacking engagement somehow, a bit flat perhaps. And that’s because they’ve relied on the rule of thirds in the hope it will automatically create a well balanced image.

But real balance is about balancing out visual weight, which is something that just feels right. You know it when you see it.

When I compose, I’m thinking in terms of actual visual balance, which can be done perfectly well just by gut feeling and what feels right (sounds flaky I know, but just try it!)  and not just where the gridlines are. 

Every now and then, the Rule of Thirds nails it — and it looks like proof that it works. But in reality, it’s likely missed plenty of opportunities along the way – opportunities that a more intuitive approach might have turned into great photographs. When you follow any process, you tend to remember the hits and forget the misses. And no one shares the photos that almost worked. With the Rule of Thirds, those misses often outweigh the hits.

Why the Rule of Thirds Doesn’t Work for Every Scene

I often find myself drawn to stripped-back, minimal scenes – especially in coastal photography. The sea, the sky, that simple line of the  horizon. And maybe, a small boat in the distance.

In those moments, applying the rule of thirds can feel wrong and disjointed. You can feel that something is wrong. Sometimes the entire scene only has two or three elements. The compelling aspect of the composition comes from the space, and emptiness, which needs to be presented to the viewer.  Arbitrarily placing objects on intersections or pre determined lines is not going to guarantee a compelling photo.

The Rule of Thirds can’t see what you can see.

Rules Can’t Replace Instinct

Now here is an unbreakable rule: Instinct matters.

That’s something I try to teach photographers in all my courses and blog posts, and in real life. The more you practise an intuitive approach to composition, the more you start to feel when something works –  when an image is balanced, when the eye flows naturally, when everything just clicks.

That instinct should never be overridden by a rule.

If something feels wrong – you have to trust that feeling. That’s how you grow. That’s how you develop your own voice as a photographer.

When I Do Use the Rule

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not on a crusade to banish the rule of thirds (yes I am!).

There are plenty of times that it appears in my photographs – and maybe every now and then I do employ it.  I may sometimes split a scene into thirds, and the Rule of thirds may be in the back of my mind, fueled always by instinct and feeling. I’ll often place a horizon (approximately) along the lower third to give the image structure. 

But the key is: instinct first, second, and third.

Final Thought

Here’s the takeaway: photography isn’t about following rules. It’s about seeing, and engaging emotionally with a scene..

The rule of thirds is okay for complete beginners, like the first time you go out with your camera.  But as you get more experienced, instinct, feeling, and what feels right should all bubble up to the surface, whilst arbitrary rules sink down deeper and deeper into the darkness.

So yes, I don’t really use the rule of thirds. But it’s not to be rebellious. Not to prove a point. But because I’m chasing something more important: a photograph that feels right –  one that speaks clearly, one that connects.

And in the end, that’s what makes a composition truly powerful.