rule of thirds and lighting

 The rule of thirds refers to when a photo or film is divided into thirds. This allows the viewer to see what is exactly in the image and where. The object /person/ subject should be placed just off-center running across one of these lines, this allows the subject to be the focus of the image. If the subject is at a cross-section of the grid this is where it will have the strongest impact. 

I experimented with this and took a shot of a bottle sitting on top of an iPad with a video playing, this created an interesting contrast in the image between colour and the point of focus. Having it at the cross of the gid added to the attraction of the item. 

After understanding the concept of the rule of thirds I took images using different lighting that incorporated the rule of thirds here are the results. 

In my shoot where I used an item, I placed it in the center to see what the difference was in contrast to when it is at the cross-section, in the image where it is center the item looks to be rather flat however in contrast when it is at a crossroad the image is given more depth even though the item is in the same location as when the image was taken with the subject in the middle. I was a fan of using this lighting as the colours created a nice contrast against the subject. However, I was not a fan of the ring light reflecting off of the back of the image as it distracts from the subject.

In this final image of an item I used the rule of thirds and placed the subject on the center line in my opinion it achieved the best look in that location as the focus pull was directly onto the subject without distraction, this makes the image highly impactful and would be good to use is this was a marketing shoot.

In the following, I wanted to use the rule of thirds but adjust it to a human subject therefore I took photographs of myself. In this first image, I used a ring light but lowered the strength of the light to achieve a dimmer light, I ensured that my eyes kept in line with the grid and ran across as this allowed the section of my upper body to cross over each square, this meant there was less dead space in the image it also ensured that my face in the center was the main point of interest. Using dimmer light allowed for a softer image. 

In this image, I followed the same technique however I used a setting that added a tint of blue to the image this allowed the image to feel calmer and not as harsh as the other image. Blue is a colour commonly used to resemble peace and tranquility. This is why blue commonly gives us a psychological sense of security. Blue is also seen to be a very cold colour. Therefore this image even though it has the same features it comes across as softer and calmer. 

I then experimented with stronger bolder colors using the same method, primarily I used green. Green is commonly associated with nature and peace, however, in this image, I believe green makes the image uncomfortable. As it is such a strong colour it becomes very distracting and takes away attention from the subject, however using green I believe makes the image very eye-catching.

I then tried this rule using red, red gave new depth to the image as the image became more sinister and creepy, red is often associated with danger therefore using a strong red in the image can result in the image having a dark feel and tone to it, the mood of the image changes due to its colour. As this is a harsh red the image is screaming that idea of danger.

Finally, I tried this technique with a harsh blue which made the image very cold, and mysterious however unlike the strong red this lighting still had a calm element to it. I believe that by using the red and the blue you get the strongest effect with colours as it changes the entire mood of the image. By doing this experiment I am now able to see what areas of the rule of thirds create the best impact as well as I have been able to see what colour work in film and images and which colours are to overthrowing the image this is good knowledge to understand and experiment with before shooting our opening title sequences.

 The effect of using a ring light 

When using a ring light you create an effect called the ' Halo effect', this effect is caused because the light is circular and it creates a reflection of light in a shape of a circle in the iris, this is why it is called the 'Halo effect' as it creates a halo.