Turn on the gridlines and clearly divide the screen.

In the camera settings of most mobile phones, you can find the “gridlines” option. Once you turn it on, the screen will be evenly divided into a nine-square grid. The four intersection points formed by these nine lines are very important. When taking pictures, place the main subject of the scenery that you want to highlight on these intersection points. For example, when taking a picture of a flower, place the flower near the intersection point in the lower right corner, and the picture will immediately have a focal point and look harmonious and not stiff. When taking a picture of a pavilion by the lake, place the pavilion at the intersection point in the upper left corner, so that the pavilion, the surrounding lake water and the sky will have a more natural distribution, avoiding the rigid feeling of the pavilion being right in the middle.

Distinguish between primary and secondary elements and arrange the layout reasonably.

After finding the main subject, you need to consider the arrangement of secondary elements. For example, when taking pictures of mountains and rivers, the mountains are the main subject and should be placed near the upper one-third gridline, while the river, as a secondary element, winds along the lower one-third gridline. In this way, the picture has a clear distinction between primary and secondary elements, and it can also guide the viewer’s sight to extend from the mountains to the river, increasing the sense of depth. Another example is when taking pictures of urban streets. Place the tall buildings in the distance in the upper grid area, and details such as cars and pedestrians on the street in the lower part, so that the picture is rich but not messy. All elements echo each other under the layout of the rule of thirds and jointly form a complete and layered picture.

Try different angles and use the rule of thirds flexibly.

Don’t always take pictures while standing and looking straight ahead. Squat down, climb to a high place or find a unique angle to make the composition of the rule of thirds more outstanding. When taking pictures of grass from a low angle, place the tip of the grass at the upper intersection point, and let the texture of the ground follow the lower gridline, so that you can capture the vitality of the grass’s tenacious growth. When taking pictures of the countryside from a high angle, the dividing lines of the fields coincide with the gridlines, and the farmhouses are distributed around the intersection points, perfectly showing the regularity and tranquility of the countryside. Moreover, when taking pictures of moving scenery, such as flying birds or running animals, predict their positions in the grid of the rule of thirds in advance and press the shutter at the right moment, so that you can capture dynamic and beautifully composed pictures, making the scenery pictures taken by mobile phones more professional and artistic.