[MF3D.FORUM:519] A rule of thirds for stereo composition

["Oleg Vorobyoff" <olegv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Most serious photographers are familiar with the rule of thirds that suggests
offsetting salient elements of a composition from the center to a third of the
distance from an edge of the picture frame.  I've found that this is exactly the
wrong advice for stereo photographers.  Stereo likes to be center oriented, as
opposed to frame oriented.  So here is a proposal for a new rule of thirds:

Divide the picture frame into thirds vertically and horizontally.  The rectangle
in the middle accounts for 1/9 of the picture area (or for stereo, picture
volume).  As small as it may appear, the keys to the composition need to be
placed within that area.   A complete stereo composition will generally have a
foreground, middle ground and background.  For the composition to be effective,
at least a bit of that foreground, middle ground and background should appear in
the center third of the picture.

That's my proposal.  Some of the consequences are that wider views are favored
over narrowly cropped views.  A good stereo picture will usually end up with
more foreground than a good conventional picture of the same subject.  The
center is likely to be a confusing mess of overlaps...until viewed
stereoptically.  Picture elements near the edges that might have been
distracting in a conventional photograph become quite acceptable.

I know that exceptions to such a rule abound.  But at least 90% of my successful
stereos meet it.  And many of my most notable failures do not.  So I think it is
something good to be conscious of.

Oleg Vorobyoff