The Rule of Thirds, Framing like a Pro with Photographer Sergio Bolivian 519

The fourth of 4 Episodes with Outdoor Adventure Photographer Sergio Bolivian providing tips and advice to improve your adventure photography.

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Show Notes

WHAT HAPPENED – Personal Story:

There I was, deep in the Amazon, camera in hand, soaking in this explosion of color—bright blue water, rusty orange clay, jungle green overhead, and that soft golden light photographers dream about. The kind of scene that doesn’t just ask to be photographed—it demands it.

So what did I do?

I lined up my shot, textbook rule-of-thirds style. Sky in the top third, water in the bottom, everything “perfect.”

But something felt… off.

That’s when I said screw it, let’s break some rules. I shifted the frame. Horizon smack in the middle. My boat creeping in from the corner, becoming this perfect leading line. It looked weird… until it didn’t. Until it looked just right.

It was one of those rare, unrepeatable moments. In five minutes, the light would shift, the river would curve, and that magic scene? Gone forever. But because I trusted my eye over the rulebook, I got the shot—and every time I look at it, I feel that moment again.

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PRINCIPLE:

Here’s the thing—creative freedom doesn’t mean ignoring the rules; it means understanding them well enough to know when to ditch them. Composition is a tool, not a cage. The rule of thirds, leading lines, all that jazz? It’s there to guide your storytelling, not police it. Your camera is just the vehicle. You’re the driver.

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TRANSITION:

But so many of us get stuck. Not because we’re not “creative enough,” but because we cling to the rules like a safety blanket. We’re afraid to break out of the grid and trust our own visual instincts. And let’s be honest—most beginner photographers aren’t struggling because they don’t have the gear. They’re struggling because they’re trapped by formula, instead of finding their own rhythm.