Breaking All the Rules

[Nicole]

This statement from KatherineEmma in another thread (http://digital-photography-school.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2330#post2330) got me back to thinking of something I'd been thinking about for a few days:

Interesting that you mention this. I've suddenly noticed quite how many people will parrot something about the rule of thirds as their first response to a photo and it makes me think all the soul of capturing a moment is getting drowned out by cookie cutter proscriptives. Guidelines for good composition are massively useful and it's great that we're familiar with them, but you can make a stunning picture that doesn't adhere to any of them, just like you can write a great sentence that starts with the word 'and'.

I think there's something to be said for breaking the "rules" of photography (e.g. the rule of thirds (http://digital-photography-school.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6), the golden ratio (http://digital-photography-school.com/forum/showthread.php?t=191), etc), and maybe sometimes we get too obsessed considering the guidelines to be hard and fast rules.

There is a time to break the so-called rules of photography because if we didn't, we would wind up with lots of pictures that all looked the same. Do we need to know the rules to break them? Do people who don't know the "rules" take worse pictures than those people who do know them?

What do you think about following the "rules of photography" and do you have a favourite picture that you think breaks these rules? :)

My favourite example that doesn't really follow the rules:
http://static.flickr.com/120/308107299_1bddd150e9_m.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicolesphotos/308107299/)
Pretty much everything is on a quarter line rather than a third line. The shoe is in the middle, the book is in the middle, but I still think it's pretty effective. And this was a set up shot obviously. I don't think that a strict interpretation of the rule of thirds would've been as effective. Granted, I'm sure there's also an argument that this does follow the golden ratio, but that's one I just don't understand.;)

[alissasanderson]

When I first started taking pics I was a kid and wasn't aware that there were any rules. When I first became more serious about photography I was an adult, and I still wasn't aware that there were any rules:) . I simply got a camera, went out, and took photos, and hoped they were good. Then I got a better camera, and read some books and some more books and some internet sites and talked to some professionals and learned that there are LOTS of rules. LOTS and LOTS of rules. But really, I think the only things that I've learned from books and professionals that I apply when I'm taking photographs relate to equipment, exposure, lighting, etc... When it comes to setting up a shot, I do that in a way that looks pleasing to me. That's what makes my style mine. It may not make it professional, or even good. But it makes it mine. It never occurs to me to think of the rule of thirds or the golden rule. I just put things where my eye and brain like them. And occasionally I get a really awesome shot!

[Graham]

Yes I think rules are to be broken on occasions, but let us not forget why they are there in the first place. Everything has rules, the way our brain sees photoes works by rules. So, we should remember that rules are there for our, and others benefit, and help us to be creative. Rules are not restrictive if applied correctly but an aid to creativity.

Graham

[barrie]

I only recently heard of the rule of thirds as I have become more interested in learning about photography, as opposed to just taking snapshots. But, like Alissa said, I mostly take photos that are pleasing to my eye. I haven't paid the rules much mind in my learning.

I'd post some rule breaking photos (I'm sure I have plenty!) but I'd have to be familiar enough with the rules to know which photos are breaking them. Maybe I'll have a better sense later on in this thread when I see more of other people's posts. More samples please! Barrie

[googlit]

It's rare that I consciously apply the rule of thirds to one of my pics. The existing rules for framing photos are based on a subconscious aesthetic. As long as you draw from what you see as good, you'll find that your pictures often follow the rules, though it was never intentional.

for example, the rule of thirds also encompasses this point: Look at some of your favorite pictures. Look for things in threes. You'll start noticing it more and more... there are three figures in this shot, three spots of light in the other... the mind recognizes threes faster than twos or fours. It's really interesting.

sorry to get off-topic...
here's my pic pick. It doesn't follow the rule of thirds, or any other rules I can think of at the moment, except for proper exposure and focus. But I like it.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/158/330668691_8f32331b58.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/googlit/330668691/)

[Nicole]

When it comes to setting up a shot, I do that in a way that looks pleasing to me. That's what makes my style mine. It may not make it professional, or even good. But it makes it mine. It never occurs to me to think of the rule of thirds or the golden rule. I just put things where my eye and brain like them. And occasionally I get a really awesome shot!

I think that was really the point of this thread, that things can look good regardless, and unless you're working for someone to create an image tailored to their specifications, it's about the picture being pleasing to you :)

Yes I think rules are to be broken on occasions, but let us not forget why they are there in the first place. Everything has rules, the way our brain sees photoes works by rules. So, we should remember that rules are there for our, and others benefit, and help us to be creative. Rules are not restrictive if applied correctly but an aid to creativity.


I do agree that the rules have helped me to be more creative and take better pictures, but I also think that once you know how the rules work, it's easier to break the rules successfully. The converse of that though is that people can get into the mindset that things that don't follow the rules are bad, and things that do are good, and that has the potential to lead to cookie-cutter-esque photography and ignoring a lot of things that are just good. :)


I'd post some rule breaking photos (I'm sure I have plenty!) but I'd have to be familiar enough with the rules to know which photos are breaking them.

You have to know the the rules to break them, don't you? :)

The existing rules for framing photos are based on a subconscious aesthetic. As long as you draw from what you see as good, you'll find that your pictures often follow the rules, though it was never intentional.

for example, the rule of thirds also encompasses this point: Look at some of your favorite pictures. Look for things in threes. You'll start noticing it more and more... there are three figures in this shot, three spots of light in the other... the mind recognizes threes faster than twos or fours. It's really interesting.


And that's why it's actually really hard to find photos where you're breaking the compositional rules ;) Good shot though googlit, definitely encompasses the point I was trying to get across that just because it doesn't follow the rules doesn't mean it's not a good photo.

I'm happy to see some discussion of this, and look forward to more examples and opinions from people.

[RainPacket]

I agree with googlit; I never consciously follow the Rule of Thirds, or the Golden Ratio, or much of anything else. But I know that I usually end up /unconsciously/ following them, because that's what makes the shot look good.

I think I'm only generally aware of the rules consciously when I deliberately choose to violate them. For instance, this image (using FD toys' 'On Black') (http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/onblack.php?id=319043722&size=Large) has far too much empty sky, supposedly. I fail to care; I think if I had composed it 'properly' and left the skyline up near the top, it would've been boring. I was well aware I was violating the rules when I did this, but I like what it evokes this way. Similarly, this one (http://www.flickr.com/photos/packet/303810706/in/set-72157594383982673/) is too centered, if you view the condiment containers as the focus, or way too off-to-one-side if you view the hand as the focus. And yet, I still like how it turned out. :)

[googlit]

from the lips of the great. :)

There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs.
~Ansel Adams

[Nicole]

There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs.
~Ansel Adams

Excellent quote! Thanks for that googlit :)

[rpaladino]

Hi all,

Know the rules in order to break them.
Shooting a good photograph is more than photographic technique...it's having a good eye, being artistic, following an instinct.

Hope everyone has a great New Year!
Thanks,
Raquel

[Nicole]

Just bumping this thread in the interest of the recent blog post on How to be a Curious Photographer (http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/how-to-be-a-curious-photographer/) which has the first tip as "Don't be held captive by the rules". The post is a good read if you haven't had a look already. :) And don't be afraid to go out and break some of the "rules".

[steevdavis62]

A good photographer who was giving me some photography pointers once told me.

"There are no rules to photography! But these are the rules you should stick too until you learn how to break the rules. Because good photographers abide by the rules, but great photographers break them all, but break them in a way that works"

I totally agree with that, i think 99/100 the 'rules' of photography work great. But there will be a time when u need to bend or break the rules. Although my advice to people learning is dont get carried away breaking the rules, because otherwise u will end up with 1 good photo and a bunch of horrible ones... Wait your time and get the one in a million photo

[Nicole]

A good photographer who was giving me some photography pointers once told me.

"There are no rules to photography! But these are the rules you should stick too until you learn how to break the rules. Because good photographers abide by the rules, but great photographers break them all, but break them in a way that works"


So true, so very true :)

[Saralonde]

That's true. You need to know what the rules are before you can break them.:)

[Nicole]

*bump*

Thought this thread could use a bump in light of the new series of tips on the blog on Break the 'Rules' of Photography and Take Stunning Images (http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/break-the-rules-of-photography-and-take-stunning-images/).

[rdaw]

One thing I find kind of interesting is how, in my head, I can shoehorn almost any picture into the rule of thirds. Sometimes it takes a few whacks with a hammer to make it fit in there, but....for instance:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rdbowman/1038373892/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1115/1038373892_a7f52aa760_m.jpg" width="236" height="240" alt="hands" /></a>

I entered this one in the "Time" contest. On the face of it, seems to pretty much lack any resemblance to TROT, but I can see the line of my father's pinky and son's thumb and index finger on a line in the top third. It's usually there if you look for it....Great - now I sound like a conspiracy theorist.