Any photographer, beginner or not, seeks to create a photograph with a proportional and aesthetic composition. For these purposes, the golden ratio rule in photographs is used. Without a doubt, working with photography is a creative process, but it also has certain rules and ways of thinking. They are not immutable, and often these days they are ignored to create unusual pictures in the style of the avant-garde. But in order to ignore or beat these laws and not get a simple “daub” as a result, you should be able to apply them.
The history of the rule of the golden ratio
Back in 1200, the great Italian mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci discovered a phenomenon called by him "the divine proportion", in another way the "golden ratio". By some miracle, he was the first to notice that nature has its own special design, a scheme that the human eye is incredibly pleasant to observe.
Look here - the golden ratio in architecture.
This rule consists in the correct arrangement of the aspect ratio, or rather 1: 1,618. This method was used by artists back in the Renaissance, creating their amazing and vibrant paintings, which, following this rule, look very natural and organic.
Examples of the golden ratio:
Schemes for detailed study of the rule
The golden ratio in photography is usually viewed using several schemes. The first is the Fibonacci grid, the second is the Fibonacci spiral. The advantage of the spiral scheme is that when viewing a photograph, the human eye will gently move along the photograph without straining to examine the details. Thus, the composition of the photograph will be harmonious and natural, pleasant to view. The grid divides the frame into 9 parts, with two lines along and two across.
Its essence is that the horizon should be placed in one of the resulting thirds, and not in the middle of the frame. Thus, the picture should be two-thirds of the sky or two-thirds of the earth. The same object on which it is planned to concentrate the attention of the viewer should be located at the intersections of the stripes. Thus, the resulting frame will also be harmonious and pleasing to the eye. In fact, the main difference between the golden section rule and the rule of thirds in photography is that the parameters in the first case are 1: 0.618: 1, and in the second - 1: 1: 1.
Simply put, the rule of thirds is a simplified golden ratio rule. This opinion was expressed in 1797. It was then that it became clear that a photograph or picture, from the point of view of composition, according to these rules looks the most deep and affecting the soul. An artist or photographer in this way concentrates on really important things, allowing even an unenlightened person to see what the author wanted to show.
One example of applying the golden ratio to the landscape in the image below.
To help you better understand the golden ratio rule in photography, examples are provided below.
Reasons for the emergence of certain rules and methods
These rules appeared for a reason. Having done a lot of research, people began to realize that it is easier and more pleasant for the human eye to concentrate on one of the intersection points. It is then that the object that artists or photographers want to draw attention to attracts the most attention than if it was located in the middle of the frame.
For a better understanding of the golden ratio rule in photography, you should know: to focus on the foreground of the photo, you should position the frame so that two-thirds of it covers the earth, if the focus should be on clouds or an object in the sky, two-thirds of the frame should be occupied by an image the sky.
For people who cannot see by eye where the necessary divisions of the frame should go, there is a grid on the camera itself, mainly such a grid is found on semi-professional and professional cameras.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it must be said that any rule in the creative process can be violated. After all, inspiration and the desire to create something unique cannot be drowned out. Thus, it is worth remembering that, having studied the rule of the golden ratio in photography, you should not use it thoughtlessly everywhere and everywhere. Sometimes the best shot is one that was created on a hunch and contrary to all the rules. But only knowing how to apply them in practice, you can succumb to a creative impulse and create amazing shots.