Where should you place your horizon according to the golden ratio?

Monday 30 July 2018, 15:51 by Michelle Peeters | 18,374 views | 19 comments

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

The golden ratio creates balance in your image. The rule of thumb is to place your subject one third or two thirds into the frame. So never put your horizon in the middle of the image, as this often produces a dull result.

For landscape photos, you can use the following as a guide for where to place the horizon: place the horizon one third from the top if the landscape is the main focus, or one third from the bottom if the sky plays an important role.

This works well for general landscape photography.

Place the horizon low, even lower than one third from the bottom, if the sky has something to say
If you place your horizon low in your photo, at about one third, you create a feeling of freedom and space, and it is more pleasant to look at. You can do this, for example, when there is a beautiful sky or sunset.

Place the horizon high when the foreground is more interesting
You do precisely the opposite by placing your horizon high, at about two thirds from the top. A high horizon can create a feeling of being cramped or trapped, but it is more exciting than a horizon in the middle.

You can do this, for example, when the sky is dull.

Similar to the rule of thirds

This golden ratio rule is very similar to the rule of thirds and is often confused with it. Here too, two horizontal and two vertical lines divide an area into nine sections.

The difference is that the sections are not all the same size: compared with the rule of thirds, the lines are positioned more towards the centre of the image. Here too, placing image elements on the lines or intersections makes an image more exciting.

Rule of thirds, black/red, compared with golden ratio, blue
The golden ratio positions image elements in a specific proportion that seems pleasing and logical to people.

When to put the horizon in the middle

You can surprise your viewers by doing things 'differently'. That is no excuse, however, to neglect the rest of the composition.

With a perfect reflection, it is actually a good idea to put the horizon in the middle of the image, so that it looks as if the image has been mirrored.

Place the horizon in the middle for a perfect reflection

Not a straitjacket

The golden ratio has a mathematical background and follows from the way most people see and assess their surroundings. You can use it as a starting point for creative landscape photography.

Make sure, however, that it does not limit or even block your creative process! It is mainly a matter of feeling, so experiment like mad and see for yourself what works best.

If you have any nice ideas and/or reasons for placing your horizon somewhere completely different, please let us know in the comments!

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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.

The Golden Ratio rule of thumb
by Michelle Peeters
Where do you place the horizon in a landscape photo?
by Nando Harmsen
The Rule of Thirds Rule of Thumb
by Michelle Peeters
Rule of thumb: Central composition
by Michelle Peeters
Learn the Rule of Thirds So You Don't Have to Use It
by Nando Harmsen
Landscape photography tip: Balance in your photo
by Nando Harmsen

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19 comments

Huub wrote on Tuesday 31 July 2018 at 10:44 | reply
Very nice photos for illustration Michelle.
Translated from Dutch.

Koen Van de moortel wrote on Tuesday 31 July 2018 at 14:15 | reply
That's not correct: the division according to the golden ratio is approx. 38%-62%, so CLOSER to the middle than the division into thirds!
Translated from Dutch.

Michelle Peeters wrote on Tuesday 31 July 2018 at 14:18 | reply
@Koen: you're right, compared to the rule of thirds, the lines are more 'in' (and not 'out') from the center of the image. I've adjusted it.
Translated from Dutch.

Fernand de Canne wrote on Tuesday 31 July 2018 at 14:33 | reply
I think that in modern photography placing the horizon at 1/3 is no longer so important
Although that rule is still strongly adhered to by a group of amateur photographers there are
dozens of very well-known professional photographers of world class where the horizon is absolutely no longer placed at 1/3 e g for instance your famous Rineke Dijkstra
I really think that rule is outdated in modern photography

Kind regards,

Fernand
Translated from Dutch.

Enno Achterhof wrote on Tuesday 31 July 2018 at 14:34 | reply
I think it is a good explanation.
Emphasize what is interesting about a photo and place the horizon accordingly. It has to feel right, I suppose.
The ending is good: “No straitjacket. The rule of thirds has….”
It is how I apply it too.
Translated from Dutch.

guest wrote on Tuesday 31 July 2018 at 14:43 | reply
Nice article with the right way of composing the photo 👍
And...... indeed everyone has their own taste and that's a good thing.
Translated from Dutch.

Bernard wrote on Tuesday 31 July 2018 at 17:39 | reply
Hello Everyone. Classic rules are good to know and to work with every now and then. My own idea about this, and apparently that of more photographers, is that the horizon is the result of the composition and not the other way around. What's funny is that Michelle explains the rule of thirds and as her first illustration posts a photo showing menhir silhouettes with a horizon that absolutely does not conform to the golden rule, but also does not conflict with it. I have no problem at all with keeping the horizon at 1/4 or 1/5 if the composition calls for it. I like to turn it around and let the composition determine where the horizon ends up. Regards, Bernard
Translated from Dutch.

Theotje wrote on Tuesday 31 July 2018 at 17:52 | reply
The photo with those colored houses does show that when it comes to color, a sense of saturation nowadays is kind of a form of color porn. You’ve gone a bit overboard with some kind of cobalt blue pot of ink over the sky in the top left. What’s the next step? As for the photo itself, it’s okay, but the colors....
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martinphili wrote on Tuesday 31 July 2018 at 19:34 | reply
Theotje probably feels a lot better now that he has been able to vent his frustration. It remains to be seen, however, whether kicking down also causes an upward movement.
I think Fernand describes it well.
Something that many people also forget is that the golden ratio rule is a derivative. The golden ratio is a constant that was discovered after comparing a whole lot of paintings that people experienced as beautiful. A derivative cannot always be reversed. And very often, that is exactly what is done.
Translated from Dutch.

Michelle Peeters wrote on Tuesday 31 July 2018 at 19:44 | reply
@martinphili: and then you also have the golden spiral as part of the golden ratio technique.
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Marco wrote on Tuesday 31 July 2018 at 21:18 | reply
A sky photo without foreground or a horizon also creates confusion. Then the sky can be as beautiful as you like
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Theotje wrote on Tuesday 31 July 2018 at 21:35 | reply
Come on Martinphili, I don't want to vent. I just get annoyed by overly unrealistic use of color to stand out. If people like this kind of oversaturated blues then that's up to them, it's just a shame that they start copying each other as if this is how it's supposed to be.
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Dick de Roos wrote on Tuesday 31 July 2018 at 21:47 | reply
Rules are meant to be broken.
The golden ratio is not a law; more of a (memory) aid for composition.
If you have the choice to place an image at an intersection or on a line of the golden ratio / rule of thirds, that is better for the composition in my opinion.
To each their own. One person likes Beethoven; another prefers Heavy Metal.
As long as you (or the one undergoing it) feel something with it
Translated from Dutch.

martinphili wrote on Tuesday 31 July 2018 at 22:21 | reply
@ michelle: and this too: Diagonaalmethode_(fotografie)
Here too, by the way, the sentence: The diagonal method originated from an analysis of how artists intuitively compose details
So the diagonal method is also not a 'rule' that one must follow in order to arrive at a good composition. No more than the golden ratio, the rule of thirds and the spiral of Fibonaci. Your feeling is what guides you here.
Translated from Dutch.

Michelle Peeters wrote on Tuesday 31 July 2018 at 22:25 | reply
@martinphili: That's right! And deviating from those rules can be so refreshing sometimes!
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@carmen wrote on Tuesday 31 July 2018 at 23:22 | reply
For an absolute beginner, it's funny to read all this. But it's educational. I simply remember, lots of sky if it makes the photo prettier, e.g. clouds... If not, less sky.
Translated from Dutch.

willy duvel wrote on Wednesday 1 August 2018 at 14:45 | reply
Exceptions prove the rule, right? Cheers
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Philippe D wrote on Wednesday 1 August 2018 at 19:55 | reply
In general I apply the rule of thirds but I regularly break the rule to get away from monotony, and that makes a photo album fun or not, in my humble opinion.
If I take a photo that I like, I probably won't change it to fit the rule.
Translated from Dutch.

Gerard wrote on Saturday 4 August 2018 at 14:52 | reply
It's incredibly annoying that all those pop-ups appear! It makes me leave here again quickly!
Translated from Dutch.

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