Chaostrain Loc: Hillsboro, Oregon

I've spent a lot of time studying the "rules" of photography from many different experts. I studied the rule of thirds, the rule of lighting, the rule of shake your left leg three times, spin right twice, jump once, and howl at a full moon on a Tuesday. I studied the rules for macro photography which happens to look like the rules for landscapes and nightscapes and portraits and photography in general. Oh, let's not forget the final all the experts tell you at the very end, that's break all the rules.

I've come to the to the following conclusion; there are no rules, zero, zip, nada, the big goose egg! The real title should be Here's a list of things to mess with to help you learn your camera until you figure out what you want to do.

Photography is an art! The photographer is an artist! It's totally up to the artist to decide what to do and how far to take their art. Anything anybody says is merely a suggestion of what that person would like to see.

Yes, I'll still look at what others are doing and saying. I've come across many suggestions to try or at least spark a part of my imagination. Sometimes one leads to the another.

Whether you shoot for a base for a picture maker or for straight out of the camera or to simply record a moment in time to prompt your memory later or whatever else, own it like a boss, cause it's all good.

So on that note. I'm going back to playing with my camera and look forward to seeing what others create. As for the rules? What rules? I don't know no stinkin rules.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

They are not rules. They are merely guidelines.
--Bob

BebuLamar

There is no rule or boss if you take pictures for yourself and don't care what others think about your pictures. If you have to please others with your pictures whether they would pay for them or simply give you some praise then you have to know what most people like. Rules help in this regard as they based on what most people think.

bdk Loc: Sanibel Fl.

Rules are for photographers, you break the rules you are an artist...

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

But whether rules or guidelines they are to help learn photography. They are teaching tools.

They are NOT how to actually do photography; they are not the way to decide how to actually shoot any given photograph. To take a picture the photographer needs to look at it and decide what looks best to the photographer.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Chaos, so, assuming you tried that rule on a Tuesday, did it work??? LoL
No wonder you call yourself Chaos?!
BTW, I looked at every image you've posted here! I suggest you stop shredding the rule book, and what you HAVE shredded, take it out and reassemble it immediately, FBI style, before you lose some vital pieces!!
Here’s a discussion I had here about 4 years ago. It goes into a lot NOT discussed by rules. I suggest you read every page, TWICE, then call me in the morning!!! LoL
Happy reading and good luck!!!
SS
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-269500-1.html

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

There are two rules that are absolute.
1. turn the camera on (implies having charged batteries in the camera)
2. take the lens cap off
OH YEAH!!! make that three = have a lens on the camera

jcboy3

Well, that's your problem. You should howl at the full moon, and drink a lot on Tuesday.

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

When it comes composition, I rely on intuition rather than rules.
Rules are a guide for photographers who have not yet learned to trust their intuition.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

Absolute unless you are using a camera which doesn't have an on/off switch, or a pinhole camera.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

Sure there are rules. All visual art has rules, and they are well known. I don't know why it's only amateur photographers who say that there aren't rules.


They exist for a reason, they are effective.


If you've never seen this talk by Adam Marelli addressing this very subject...it's pretty good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwk3YFknyNA&t=150s&frags=pl%2Cwn

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Nothing he says supports the use of any Rules Of Thumb type guidelines when composing. See what he says between about 9:40 and 10:05, where he allows there are such rules for learning, but in practice you break them or not as you wish. They are just tools to learn from, not to take pictures with.

The only value is to just be aware of them. That is because they are learning devices and are not meant to be followed dogmatically when taking pictures.

He is not reciting Rules, he is showing examples of many different, and often contradictory, possible styles of composition.

It might be noted that he clearly is well versed in Gestalt Theory, given his many times use of "figure ground". He is probably very familiar with Rudolf Arnheim's works starting with the classic textbook "Art and Visual Perception: A Psychology of the Creative Eye".

Do a Google search on the words "figure ground gestalt arnheim".

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

Exactly right. But if you want to engage in the snobbery there have to be rules.

John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK

4) Make sure there's a card inserted.

5) The most important rule is knowing 'When to break the Rules'.