Image by Ken Cheung / Unsplash rule of third grid lines added

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Shoot images that sell — The rule of thirds and diagonal composition in stock photography

Nicholas Ahonen
9 min readMar 13, 2023

As a stock photographer, you always want to shoot images that capture the attention of potential buyers.

One way to achieve this is through effective composition. Two popular composition techniques that have proven to be effective are the rule of thirds and diagonal composition.

The rule of thirds divides the image into nine equal parts for a harmonic composition, while diagonal composition creates a sense of movement and depth by incorporating diagonal lines in the frame. Both techniques can be powerful tools for creating visually compelling stock photographs that stand out from the competition and get you more sales.

In this article, we’ll explore the basics of the rule of thirds and diagonal composition, and how you can apply them to your stock photography business to create captivating images that resonate with your audience and building your passive income.

What is the Rule of Thirds?

The rule of thirds is a fundamental principle of composition in photography, and it’s an important concept to keep in mind when shooting stock photos. It’s a simple concept, yet it can make a big difference in the overall composition of your photos. Let us begin by exploring the rule of thirds and how to apply it to your stock photography.

The rule of thirds is a guideline for composing a photo by dividing the frame into thirds both horizontally and vertically. This creates a grid of nine equal rectangles. The four points where the lines intersect are called “power points,” and they are the key areas of interest in the photo.

Rule of thirds grid lines, with the four corners of the center rectangle making up the four power points.

By placing the main subject of the photo on one of the power points or along one of the lines, the composition becomes more balanced and visually appealing. The rule of thirds helps to create tension, energy, and interest in a photo by avoiding a static, centered composition.

Applying the rule of thirds to stock photography

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Nicholas Ahonen
Nicholas Ahonen

Written by Nicholas Ahonen

Nicholas is active in the finance industry and a stock photographer making a passive income since 2019

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