One of my goals this year is to up my photography game. Rachel Landrith of Rachel Marie Photography is kind enough to help me along the way with great tips for capturing life just a little more clearly through a lens.

I thought you might love her tips too, so I will share them each week! Her first is one every photographer should know: The Rule of Thirds. Here is what she has to say:

“The rule of thirds is an important rule to follow when taking a photograph. It is one of the best ways to achieve a beautiful composition in a photograph. The rule of thirds is applied to a photo in terms of dissection. Divide your photo up into 9 equal squares using two vertical and two horizontal lines. The goal in doing this is to place the focal point of the photograph on the vertical or horizontal line at a point of intersection. The eye is naturally drawn to these areas, so if we place the focal point on these lines at a point of intersection, the eye will immediately look where we want it to look. An indicator of a good photograph is if we can clearly tell what the focal point is and if our eye is immediately drawn to it. Using the rule of thirds is a great way to do this.”

….and she did this perfectly in this gorgeous wedding shot!