Favorite "rule" to break?

[wanda_whitehead]

Okay, in my photography, I find that I break almost every rule out there at one time or other during a session.

My favorite to break is the rule of thirds...I never go into a shot thinking "is this going to follow the rule". I shoot what I like and what my client likes and if it breaks all the rules then so be it!!!

Now what is your favorite rule to break!!! Come on, I know you do it! Share with us...we won't judge you.....much!

[SusanH1970]

My favorite rule to break is that every portrait should have eye contact with the camera. I feel it's still a portrait if there is still context and even with no eye contact, it tells a story.

For instance:

1bwweb | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

IMG_0831aweb | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

28 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Well, that, and I'm a chronic head chopper.

[SwissJon]

Why don't you post a link to your photos Wanda? I'm interested to see how your disregard of that rule works out for you? Could be interesting.

Personally I don't think about the rules as something to break or to keep, I think of them as an aid to composition.. I feel that if you create every picture so that it precisely follows the "rules" then they'll be very boring...

However those aren't just photographic rules, if you look back on some of the master pieces of art, you'll see that the masters, consciously or subconsciously, followed the same rules you find talked about today.. Da Vinci famously preferred the Golden Ratio to the rule of thirds for example.

[3bayjunkie]

I disregard all the rules. If I happen to follow any rules it is completely accidental :P Rules are made to be broken right?

but on a serious note. I think the rule I break most without thinking about it is cutting off limbs. I honestly don't think about these photography rules until after I review my photos. Most of the time my rule of thirds is satisfactory. I try to take a creatively non boring aproach by purposely not centering my subject and photographing at different angles.

[Jim Bryant]

Rules...... What rules.........I don't abide by any rules.

[Izzy]

Be nice to hacks - I am never nice to hacks

[scootermcq]

Um, don't touch the models

[ChrisAdval]

Originally Posted by wanda_whitehead

Okay, in my photography, I find that I break almost every rule out there at one time or other during a session.

My favorite to break is the rule of thirds...I never go into a shot thinking "is this going to follow the rule". I shoot what I like and what my client likes and if it breaks all the rules then so be it!!!

Now what is your favorite rule to break!!! Come on, I know you do it! Share with us...we won't judge you.....much!

thats a tough one for me because I follow rules on purpose because of my career/business goals as a photographer which is to have my work appeal to publications and advertising agencies. Which generally speaking they tend to only like the photos that follow the rules very specifically made by them.

Even if I thought about breaking the rules I don't know which ones would be fun... I have tons of rules that make up for myself to follow that the general photographer wouldn't have I wouldn't mind breaking like I don't produce any black and whites which I would love to do sometime but I can't because its just not with my current style of having a very modern and realistic feel of my photos.

Originally Posted by scootermcq

Um, don't touch the models

I think the OP was talking about photography rules (of the actual photography) lolz.

[prince]

One of the rules that I think I break more often is to not center the subject (rule of thirds). I feel sometimes the subject can be centered if it creates a strong, dramatic effect.

[prince]

Also, there is a new rule, may be "unofficial" but lot of photographs are heavily saturated.. Does anyone break that rule? I try sometimes..