It is not uncommon for aspiring artist to feel constrained by the “rules” of composition. Photographers are advised to follow these dictates until they have enough experience to step outside the guidelines, but how do you know when to bend - or even break - the rules? The answer is in the rules themselves. Knowing what a rule is does not automatically know why you should use it. But when you know why as well as what, you can start to think a little more creatively. Knowing that application of the “rule of thirds” gives images a more dynamic feel and you are after a sense of stability.... then you would not place your main elements on the intersection of lines dividing the sides of the image!
I am going to use this Intel to look at some of the classic “rules” of composition, and why they have acquired this status. The first rule is that the main subject of your photo should be in focus.
Keep in Focus NOT - We want to concentrate attention on the most important objects or people in an image. We want to make a clear statement and avoid our viewer missing the point of our story. Sharp focus avoids ambivalence: so how will it permit you to create those amazingly dreamy, romantic images or express the rich, emotional tapestry that is not properly expressed in concrete, sharply focussed ways? By purposely leaving your main subject (or even your whole shot) out of focus.
You can explore purposely ‘unfocused’ images in two areas. You can focus on a seemingly unimportant element of the scene but exploit the narrow depth of field of a wide aperture to include your main subject. Not as a sharp image, but as a form, shape or shadow. You aim is to provide a presence which the viewer can invest with meaning. You are not trying to tell the viewer what they should understand. Instead, you are provoking an emotional response, offering a framework upon which they may drape their own understanding.
The other option is to focus well past or in front of the subject. A wide aperture helps here,too and you will find it easier to control the degree of out-of-focus in manual focusing mode.
If your picture is so unfocussed that the subject is unrecognisable it may be an interesting rendering of tones or shapes or textures - that takes some skill and planning, but when you are working with translucent objects like coloured glass, the results can be quite beautiful abstract works. More often, the key is to have enough focus for it to be recognisable but out of focus enough to create a dreamy world.
Always Keep Horizons Level and Vertical Uprights usually - You nearly always want to follow this one, but only “nearly always”. Landscapes with a horizon just 2 degrees off are way too far out of true. The rule is there to keep things looking natural and predictable and normal. The way they “should” be. Break this rule if you want images with drama, or which have a disturbing aura or maybe a feeling of flight or of energy, action and sometimes, fun.
When you choose to break this rule you should go for the extreme. Never leave anyone in doubt that this was intentional!
The (Sacrosanct) Rule of Thirds - The Rule of Thirds avoids static lifeless images. Placing your subject in the centre of an image or making the horizon a bisecting line can also produce powerful and confronting images - People looking directly into the lens, or the perfect mirror of lake and sky are excellent times to abandon the rule and try to highlight other aspects of your subject.
Allow Space for The Subject to Move - The idea of active space in a picture is that people in profile should have room to look into the scene - that is, if they are looking left, they should have space on that side to look into. If the subject is moving to the right, they should be placed closer to the left frame so that they have room to move into. This gives the viewer a sense of where the subject is moving to or where the person is looking and and imparts a sense of anticipation.
What if the viewer loses that sense of certainty? The opposite emotion is uncertainty, so by breaking it can add tension and intrigue, or in the case of a moving object, a sense of speed. It can give an alternative sense of where the subject has been rather than where it is going.
To get an idea of of what the penalty (or reward) for breaking this rule is, shoot a few portraits with different poses and framing. Take some shots with your subject looking directly at the camera, some with them looking to one side with more space to look into and some the other way around. The three different moods in the three different framings should be quite informative.
nearly always Use a Tripod - Nothing spoils a photo more than camera movement - The point of using a tripod is to stop subtle loss of definition due to shake from various sources. Camera shake that you intentionally introduce can give a sense of movement, excitement and energy. It can also result in shots with a candid feel. You might want a subtle effect, but I suggest that when a rule is worth breaking, its worth shattering!
Try selecting a slow shutter speed and moving your camera during the exposure. If you just want to give that candid feeling then a slightly slower shutter speed and hand-holding your camera will probably give it that effect - but not if you don’t turn off any image stabilisation first!
Whatever rules you choose to disobey, be sure to follow this one: always make the best image you can, and if any rule gets in the way of doing that...break it!
