Placement
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Rule of Thirds: put your subject on a third

The everyday default. Put the subject on a third, not in the middle.

What it is

The rule of thirds divides the frame with two horizontal and two vertical lines at equal spacing. Placing the subject on one of the four crossings moves it away from the dead middle and leaves open space on one side for the eye to travel through. That slight imbalance feels alive, and the empty area gives the subject context. Treat it as a starting point more than a law. It suits almost any scene with one clear subject and some surroundings worth keeping.

When to use it

A single tree, boat or person in an open landscape
Street scenes with one figure crossing the frame
A pet or an object on a plain background with room around it

How to shoot it

Stand at eye level with your subject a modest size in the frame, somewhere between a small detail and a third of the picture.
Camera Grid draws the thirds grid and a box on the crossing nearest your subject, so you move as little as possible to reach it.
Follow the coach: “Pan left a little” or “Tilt up a little” moves the subject toward the box, and “Step closer, or zoom in” fixes its size.
Watch the ring around the shutter climb through yellow to green. At the lock you feel a tap and the coaching goes quiet, so take the shot.

Common mistakes

Running the horizon through the middle while the subject sits on a third, which splits the picture in two.
Cropping so tight that the subject fills the frame and there is no third left to place it on.
Leaving the subject facing out of the nearest edge with all the empty space behind it.

Questions

Does the rule of thirds always work?

No. It is a reliable default for one subject in a wider scene, but symmetrical buildings, reflections and tight close-ups often look better centred. Camera Grid treats it as the everyday fallback and switches to Dead Centre, Fill the Frame or another guide when the scene reads as a better match for one of those.

How do I turn on the rule of thirds grid on iPhone?

In the built-in Camera app, open Settings, then Camera, and switch on Grid. That grid is fixed and never tells you how close you are. Camera Grid draws the same lines plus a target box for the subject it actually sees, then scores your framing live as you move.