Introduction

The Golden Rule originated in ancient Greece many centuries before the invention of the camera. It was later rediscovered during the Renaissance. It states that the most important area in a picture is located at the bottom right hand corner, about one quarter up from the bottom and one quarter in from the right.

The Theory of the Golden Rule is based on our reading patterns. We read from left to right and top to bottom. The eye’s natural stopping point is at the bottom right of the page, before turning to the next one.

If we “read” a picture in the same way we read a book, then the right corner should hold our attention for the longest amount of time. The picture “Meditation” is composed in a way that reflects this, with the main subject – the woman in prayer – positioned at the bottom right.

Meditation (Turkey)

This picture, “Elephant Playing”, portrays a mother elephant and her baby playing in the water. To get the viewer to focus on the baby, we have used the Golden Rule and positioned the baby elephant roughly a quarter of the way up from the bottom and in from the right side.

Elephant Playing (Kenya)

While the Roman alphabet is read from left to right and from top to bottom, the Japanese and Chinese read from right to left and from top to bottom. The Golden Rule works differently in those cultures. In “Charging Bull” we have positioned the cowboy’s face to the bottom left of the picture instead of the bottom right to achieve maximum emphasis for those cultures.

Charging Bull (Peterborough, On, Canada)

Conclusion

When positioning your main subject to attract the maximum amount attention, try emulating the ancients by using the “Golden Rule”.