Photographic Rules

There is no such thing as a rule in photography.

Although I do not actually agree with the above statement, I have certainly found it helpful at times to simply work to what I find appealing or attractive rather than trying to stick to another person's frame of mind. There still a few left over images from the time of the dodgy dot-prone sensor that I no longer work with. Some of them I feel are worth keeping and yet they have MANY dots yet to remove. I spent a small amount of time on this one today.

Even though this is not quite ideal for me, the concept is what appeals to me. The shot was taken after dark - the colours seem to come out in a really subtle sort of way. My aim is to get an image like this that has a really quiet feel to it while still maintaining an appealing composition and interesting style. I realise this statement is rather vague and 'arty' and yet I think it will become more apparent once the image is made. 

Rules are fantastic ways to help develop structure to your photography and imagery. They are also a fantastic place to begin with when you are starting out with your camera. They can help you progress very fast to a certain point. In order to prevent or break a so-called 'plateau' effect, I think it is pretty important to get creative in shooting. It doesn't have to be anything too crazy or out of the ordinary, but a simple composition change can really add to the image. 

For example, one of the classic 'rules' in photography is the Rule of Thirds in which you should aim to place objects of interest along the line of thirds in the frame. Although I have followed this rule with the sky/land ratio, I think the dimensions and composition of the image below (also a work in progress FYI - which I may have to reshoot) looks much bolder than if I had placed the trunk on an angle or to the side of the frame. 

Anyway, there is plenty more to be said about keeping work creative and yet I'll leave most of it for another day. 

Have a great weekend!