Rules, and breaking them

[J.A.F. Doorhof]

One small thing to always remember and to get you thinking

In my workshops I get alot of questions on rules and I find that most photographers try to life by those rules as if they were punisable by death.

Let's say first that I think it's good to know the rules, but after that it's I think more so important that you learn how to break some rules.

For example one one of the rules for portraits is that the eyes should be the focuspoint of attention and they should be on 2/3 rd of the picture (well this is taught by many), I find this often true, by cutting of for example some of the head (forhead) you take the viewers eyes to the eyes instead of into the whole picture.

However it can also be amazingly effective to place the eyes somewhere else on the picture (experiment).

One of the things I do always use as a rule however is to keep a flow in a picture, your eyes should not leave the picture but should stay into the image.

The thing I would like to stress however is to train yourself to look and see the possibilities, sometimes you just can't follow all the rules and you have to be creative, when you know the rules, you can teach yourself to break them.

Greetings,
Frank

[jfrancho]

Good advice, Frank.

I like having "rules" or "guidelines" or whatever you want to call them for two reasons. First, they generally work together with your ability to improve your photography. Secondly, I like to know that I'm breaking a rule when I do it. I love happy accidents, and a great many of my best photos have happy accidents. But, if there was more forethought, or intention behind what was a lucky break, then I can add some consistency to my pictures.

I don't post too many pictures in the same boards as you, but I think you can find many examples of "rule breaking" in the pictures I take. Chopping heads, hiding eyes, lopping off limbs, etc. are all in my bag of tricks.

I really like your comment about keeping a flow to the pictures. There are so many ways to do this, either with highlights, color, shadow areas, lines, etc. Movement and serenity are two things I look capture in a lot of my pictures.

Great stuff to think about.

[Lorek]

i fully agree! I also often got remarks about the rule of the thirds. I think this rule is great and works most of the time but I also believe some of the best pics I have seen don't follow this rule.

[jfrancho]

Another good point. I have pictures that don't appear to follow the rule of 1/3's - mostly landscapes - but if you look closer, you can see where atypical features follow the rule. A horizon may be smack in the middle (apparently a no-no) but other elements fall cleanly within the rule. I think for a lot of pictures, the rule of thirds can really help someone new to photography quickly compose better pictures. Things seem to line up nicely when you apply the rule. But trying different, more creative things again may give more satisfaction.

[dc2]

Originally Posted by J.A.F. Doorhof

One small thing to always remember and to get you thinking
Greetings
Frank

I agree
Guidelines is a much prefereable word .

[Frumious Boojum]

One of the best pieces of advice I've ever seen anybody give to someone wanting to learn photography is, go buy a book, read it, and then forget about all that you read and just go out and shoot.

[Rameses]

I believe the key to understanding how to break a rule is to know the rule intimately.

[J.A.F. Doorhof]

Correct.
And that's the step most photographers who know them don't make

[LeeK]

I do believe in knowing the basics of lighting formula's for acheiving looks and posing...but often time's in catalog work or advertising work much is dependant upon the layout, and the resulting pix on the page more than what you'd like to do...perhaps this is/was an old school way of doing things...back then it was imperative to keep the contrast ratio's a bit lower in order to show more of the item's being advertised because of the printing process...everything improves technology wise but it is important to understand 'what' you are shooting for 'more' than relying on 'rules'...low grade paper will destroy your high grade contrasty shots, for example...so I guess I'm agreeing w/everyone else to a certain degree...

[TLV]

Rules are relative to a moment in time. As time moves on rules change. Therefore what is correct today may not be tommorrow, or, may not have been yesterday. Most people who make a difference learn the rules, understand them and then realise that they are just a platform from which to move forward and innovate. My pennyworth.

[Unkl Buck]

If you are gonna break a rule, it helps to know why you are doing it. Not just to break them for breaking's sake.

I see too many people "breaking the rules" but not know what rule they are breaking and for what reason.

[J.A.F. Doorhof]

Correct.

[Forrest]

The thing about "rules" is that they can encourage a paint-by-numbers approach to art ... breaking them seems like an attractive way to break out of the mold. I agree with Buck, though ... they became "rules" because they're generally helpful. It pays to stop and think about the reasons why a different approach is (or isn't?) a good idea.

[AjnViper]

Some really fantastic quotes about rules and breaking them. How can I follow the rules or break them if I dont yet know all the rules... I found the 40 rules to portraiture and it keeps me awake at night thinking about the crap I have captured in the past. But it also makes me look forward to the next shoot.