The Golden Ratio rule of thumb

Saturday 20 June 2020, 15:51 by Michelle Peeters | 8,614 views | 7 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

An article about the Golden Ratio rule of thumb has already been published. The Rule of Thirds is essentially a simplified application of the Golden Ratio. With the Rule of Thirds, the 9 areas are equal, but they are not with the Golden Ratio. This is because the Golden Ratio is based on a mathematical calculation.

Rule of Thirds (black/red) compared with the Golden Ratio (blue)
But this rule of thumb is also about the ratio between line segments. However, it is based on the mathematically calculated Fibonacci sequence. With this, he tried to show that everything found in nature, and everything we find beautiful, is composed according to certain ratios.

Luca Pacioli calls the Golden Ratio the "divine proportion" in De Divina Proportione. The Golden Ratio positions the image elements in a specific ratio that comes across as logical and pleasing to people.

Place the horizon high if the foreground is more interesting
The formula is as follows: the Golden Ratio is the division of a line segment into two parts in a special ratio: a : b = (a + b) : a. In short, the shorter section relates to the longer section as the longer section relates to the whole. That sounds complex, and in practice you cannot do much with it, of course.

Place the horizon low, it can even be lower than 1/3 from the bottom, if the sky has something to say
With landscape photos such as those shown in the examples above, however, it can still be useful. Place the horizon at 1/3 from the top when most of the attention should go to the foreground. If more attention should go to a beautiful sky, try placing the horizon at about 1/3 from the bottom.

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About the author

Michelle Peeters is fotografe en oprichter van DeuxBleus Fotografie. Michelle herkent het bijzondere in het gewone en het gewone in het bijzondere. Ze heeft zich nooit willen specialiseren en is daardoor van alle markten thuis.

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7 comments

Jan Tinga wrote on Tuesday 23 June 2020 at 15:16 | reply
I would like to point out that the drawing with squares Golden ratio versus Rule of thirds is WRONG! The middle square of the golden ratio falls INSIDE the square of the rule of thirds. Please explain.
Translated from Dutch.

Michelle Peeters wrote on Tuesday 23 June 2020 at 18:03 | reply
@Jan: no, you saw that wrong, it actually falls outside it!
Translated from Dutch.

Marcia van Bijnen wrote on Tuesday 23 June 2020 at 19:59 | reply
Jan Tinga is right, Michelle.
Translated from Dutch.

Michelle Peeters wrote on Tuesday 23 June 2020 at 20:13 | reply
@Marcia: no, the middle square (Rule of Thirds, red), falls within the central square of the Golden Ratio (blue). But that is completely irrelevant in this context!
Translated from Dutch.

guest wrote on Tuesday 23 June 2020 at 23:35 | reply
Jan and Marcia are absolutely right, Michelle. For example, take a look at the crop overlay in Lightroom.

In 2018, you also said that you had corrected this: Michelle Peeters wrote on Tuesday, July 31, 2018 at 14:18@Koen: you're right, the lines are more 'in' (and not 'out') of the center of the image in relation to the rule of thirds. I adjusted it.
Translated from Dutch.

guest wrote on Tuesday 23 June 2020 at 23:39 | reply
Jan and Marcia are really right, Michelle. For example, look at the grid overlay of LRC.

Earlier, you also said that you had corrected this:
Michelle Peeters wrote on Tuesday 31 July 2018 at 14:18@Koen: you're right, compared to the rule of thirds, the lines are more 'in' (and not 'out of') the center of the image. I have adjusted it.
Translated from Dutch.

Michelle Peeters wrote on Wednesday 24 June 2020 at 11:21 | reply
@Jan Tinga: you were right! I adjusted the image. Thanks for pointing that out!
Translated from Dutch.

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