“Rule of thirds” workshop:

For our online lessons, we had a rule of thirds workshop from our Media teacher Matt

 

The rule of thirds is essentially breaking up the shot into a table consisting of three individual and even sections horizontally, and three individual and even sections vertically. Where the lines sit is very important to us, even more so than where the boxes are. Where the lines cross over each other are the points of interest. We should try and get rid of any headspace above the subject so that one side of the shot is filled, whilst also getting a good view of the background.

 

I had a go at home trying out the rule of thirds at my desk with my water bottle being the subject. 

 

As much as possible, we should try to put some depth into our shots. Try and have a distinguished foreground and background, and try to make the background interesting, and not dull.  A great area to film is a staircase or stairwell, as they give a long perspective.

 

 

I tried it again with depth, only this time I used two pens, one in focus in the foreground to be the subject and another out of focus in the background.

 

Lighting can be used to make the shot even better. By turning some lights off and other lights on, we can create again a more interesting shot, and also come closer to the shot we want. To achieve this in an area where you may not have access to all the lights you can use in the studio, you will need to get creative. For example, around the house, you may need to move lamps to get the right shot, or even turn on your TV for a very bright, soft white light to the side of your subject, out of shot, but still providing light to the shot. Windows, in the daytime, could also be used, and also computer monitors.

 

I also tried it out at home with the lighting. I googled a red background, and turned the brightness up to give the photo a red tint. I think this worked well as the water bottle is made from a fairly reflective plastic, and so the red background resinates throughout the shot because of the bottle.