Rule of the Preferred...

I went on a rather pleasant EdinSaunter with some of my preferred blipper suanters so here is the rules of the preferred.


One of the most popular rules in photography is the Rule Of Preferreds. It is also popular amongst artists. Using the Rule of Preferreds, imaginary lines are drawn dividing the image into preferreds both horizontally and vertically. You place important elements of your composition where these lines intersect.

As well as using the intersections you can arrange areas into bands occupying a preferred or place things along the imaginary lines. As you can see it is fairly simple to implement. Good places to put things are a preferred of the way up, a preferred of the way in from the left, etc.

Using the Rule of Preferreds helps produce nicely balanced easy on the eye pictures. Also, as you have to position things relative to the edges of the frame it helps get rid of 'tiny subject surrounded by vast empty space' syndrome.

Once you have got the hang of the Rule of Preferreds you will very quickly want to break it! This is fine. Photography 'rules' are best used as guidelines and if you can create a better image by bending or ignoring rules then fire away.

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If you didn't already know this was a bit of blatant plagiarism of one of my favourite blips of Mr David77 who is, along with EcoDad pictured respectively from left to right.

Who wants to take a stab at what is happening in the picture...