Breaking the rules?

It's not my idea they should be, it's the general concensus in my experience. There are those who never shoot a portrait in landscape, I have done, many times.


Maybe by not thinking of rules, I've been following them sub consciously? But, it's really not something I'd lose sleep over. I posted this because I thought it broke some, if it doesn't, well, doesn't matter to me personally, bad example for here though ...
 
I think the word "rule" is problematic in this context because we're coached to think that we mustn't break any rules. Think of the rules as techniques instead. And apply them liberally.
 
Cagey75 said:
Maybe by not thinking of rules, I've been following them sub consciously? But, it's really not something I'd lose sleep over. I posted this because I thought it broke some, if it doesn't, well, doesn't matter to me personally, bad example for here though ...
Click to expand...

Having an eye for a good photo pretty much means you are following the rules subconcisously I would think.
You chose how to frame the shot without thinking about rules but based on what would look best. Afterwards you can see what looked best happened to fit within the rules.
 
Cagey75 said:
It's not my idea they should be, it's the general concensus in my experience. There are those who never shoot a portrait in landscape, I have done, many times.
Click to expand...

That's precisely my point.

It isn't one of the 'rules'. And precisely what's wrong with the perception of the rules and the whole mood of this thread.

Loads of people saying they disagree with this rule and that rule - none of which exist. And the OP claiming that his photo's break some 'rule of photography' for which his work's been panned, when they don't break any rules - they're just overprocessed.

I don't even understand how a bloke like me - largely self taught, and maverick by nature ends up jumping up and down about 'rules'.:wacky:

Because - these 'rules' aren't rules at all, they're guidelines, they're compositional techniques, they don't exist to make us conform, they exist because they help the viewer into and around the picture. If we don't use them (consciously or subconsciously) then our photo's are less pleasing to the viewer.
 
Cagey75 said:
Thanks, It was just an example really of what people would suggest was breaking the rules. Most portraits are in portrait orientation, and most people tend to throw the subject off centre as if it's making some dramatic difference. I posted this to show it can work without doing that/sticking to those "rules" - I personally do not follow any.
Click to expand...

It's not a dramatic difference but it does more often that not make for a more engaging interesting composition and it certianly works for this shot I'd upload the crop if you hadn't ticked the option for others not to edit your pics on here. Cropping it also helps it comply with another 'rule' fill the frame with your subject which again increases the impact

Phil V said:
But she's not central, and if you look at the wobbly curve compositional thing posted earlier (you can tell I'm classically trained;)) it overlays your shot fairly well. What's more - I'm prepared to bet money, if it was cropped so that it overlaid it better, it'd be a more pleasing image.
Click to expand...

It really does look better on the third!
 
A couple of quotes from David Bailey....

"The pictures I take are simple and direct and about the person I'm photographing.” I don't care about composition or anything like that. I just want the emotion of the person in the picture to come across.... to get something from that person."

"I take the same approach today as I did when I started. I've always hated silly pictures and gimmicks, which is all I see these days, or, to put it another way, 'the Avant Garde has gone to Kmart."
 
When your gimmick is being the only celebrity tog in London that can access the stars then you have unique content. The rest he could afford to throw away.

Unlikely you or I will ever have such a unique exclusive relationship to rely on which is why you can largely forget tips from DB
 
DB images are smothered in composition, its called classic portraiture and faces. Human faces being one of the places our composition rules come from, whatever angle, framed well inside a frame.... that's a typical classic portrait composition. He's just talking generally about his thought process, the quotes are out of context being used as an argument....No doubt most of us have recognised early in our photography that well spaced framing can give good results without thinking where using composition rules....same for him init. Duncan try looking for quotes from landscape photographers like Ansel Adams and you'll easily find a counter argument.

Cagey75 said:
That actually does break the rule, she should be on one of the third lines, not in the center ... according to that rule that is.
Click to expand...

No that's ok, she's occupying a third space, (face) surrounded by third spaces, good balance, great subject ...its basic comp using thirds in my book.
Thirds guide suggests anything on, or close to the thirds ...being in the middle is the first winning yet obvious option, moving it around is a second more arty/interesting etcetera.


I agree that cropping your shot would enhance her arm on that sides third, but after looking at Martin Parrs work recently I'm reminded that a casual and candid shot requires less obvious attention to artistic style composition, its perhaps more about an open unpretentious honestly that I think youd lose if you tightened the composition by cropping.... just finding this interesting right now.
 
Last edited:
Normally I would have cropped the shot tbh, it would be my initial rection in post, to tighten up one side, put her slightly off-centre and get rid of a lot of that empty space. I left it as is because it was just a lens tester and wanted to up it in full - though I did process it slightly. Changed WB and bumped contrast really.

To me, if someone else shot it and asked for C&C I would most likely have suggested they crop in from the left, or try a portrait crop.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top