In September I discussed the rules of photography and breaking them, encouraged by a posting at Brillian Prints Blog titled The Non-Rules of Photography: How You Can Enjoy the Experience More. I'm still interested in the "rules" that are broken with good effect.
I have a nice book on taking photos of people with a digital camera. (It is in Finnish, "Henkilökuvaus digikameralla" by Suvanto and Mäkelä.) This book is quite good, comparable to the best that are available in English, perhaps because it says a little about technology and a lot about the other aspects of photography, in a down-to-earth style.
The writers are both physicists with a professional photographer degree. They emphasize that the rules they state are not to be obeyed without exception, but they do help in taking good photos. So, from the "breaking-the-rules" viewpoint, what are some of the rules?
- Stop to think before taking a photo: what is the message?
- Eliminate distractions from the main subject
- Use light to bring forth the main subject
- Check the borders of the main subject and the photo
- Don't put the subject in the middle (golden section, rule of thirds etc.)
- Use a triangular composition
- If lines are not horizontal/vertical, then use plenty of angle
- Don't cut the limbs of people
And the first rule is the one I break the most. I very seldom stop to think why I'm taking a particular photo. I just shoot, and explore various compositions. For me photography is more about exploring than knowing and thinking.
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