The rule of thirds is a tool, not a law
This task has two good answers, and both are accepted.
A centered composition is calm and direct: the person is exactly in the middle, and the shot looks like a statement. It works when the background is symmetrical or doesn't get in the way.
A person on a third gives the shot direction: there's space left in front of them, and the eye moves.
What's bad isn't “breaking the rule” — it's doing it by accident: a little off center and a little off the third.
Lesson notes
This task has two good answers, and both are accepted.
A centered composition is calm and direct: the person is exactly in the middle, and the shot looks like a statement. It works when the background is symmetrical or doesn't get in the way.
A person on a third gives the shot direction: there's space left in front of them, and the eye moves.
What's bad isn't “breaking the rule” — it's doing it by accident: a little off center and a little off the third.