Enjoy taking photos? Love to share them with others? Welcome to this week’s photo challenge! (I post a new challenge every week…check in each week and join the fun!)

Taking and posting a photo every day is the perfect opportunity for me to not only pay attention to interesting things in the world, but also to  work on my skills as a photographer and to improve my craft.  There’s lots of factors that influence the outcome of a photo including lighting, angles, backgrounds…and composition.  One photography technique that I find helpful is the rule of thirds. (Here’s a short video that explains the technique.)  Here are a few examples that I think follow the rule of thirds.

When I headed out to work this morning, this dandelion along the curb near my house shouted for my attention.  (Yeah, I know, dandelions are becoming a obsession for me!) I actually took a couple of shots, but I like this one where the dandelion sits along the right third of the photo with my neighbor’s house along the upper horizon.

Last week I was out in my backyard with my macro lens investigating the new growth.  I noticed this shrub budding and moved in close.  Both the lighting and the green of the bud lay along the lines of thirds, creating an interesting composition.

This odd rusty pipe-like structure at the beach attracted my attention.  I shot it from different angles and perspectives, but like this image the best.

And a few weeks ago I was down at Mission Bay watching my nephew’s crew team rowing.  I like the way the light lays in the left hand upper third of the photo.  I think one of the reasons I enjoy playing with the rule of thirds is because it offers so many options…and produces interesting results.

So this week’s photo challenge is to play around with composition using the rule of thirds.  Try one image a few different ways and then post the image you like best.  Or sort through some photos you’ve taken recently and see if you can find one that fits the rule of thirds.  Any subject you find interesting will work for this week’s challenge.  Post either the photo alone or along with writing inspired by the photo. I also invite you to use others’ photos as inspiration for your own writing and photography. I often use another photographer’s image as “mentor text” for my own photography, trying to capture some element in my own way.

I like to share my images and writing on social media…and I invite you to share yours widely too. (You might consider Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Google+) Use the hashtag #ruleofthirds and include @nwpianthology to make it easy for us to find and enjoy. You can find me on Twitter and Instagram @kd0602. I’d love to follow you if you share your handle.

You can also share your photos and writing by linking to this blog post or sharing in the comment section below. Have fun playing with the rule of thirds–I can’t wait to see your compositions!