Creative photography is festooned with rules. We are constantly told to use the rule of thirds, keep our horizons straight and to make sure we fill the frame with the subject. The rules go on and on and there is always someone there to let us know when we have got it wrong.Where did all these rules come from? Many of them have been developed over the millennia by artists from around the world. The ancient Greeks noted that certain ratios occurred frequently in nature and, for some reason, appeared more aesthetically pleasing than others. The concepts of portrait lighting were perfected in the renaissance by the master painters. These rules represent the culmination of artistic wisdom through the ages.So why would we ever want to deviate from such esteemed tradition? Well, photography is a creative pursuit and most creative people absolutely hate to be constrained. The rules are there to be broken, right?If you are going to apply this logic then it is crucial to understand what the rules are and why they are so important before you can even begin to consider why it may sometimes be a good idea to go against them.The rules of composition and lighting help to ensure that we create balanced images which allow the viewer's eye to travel around a framed space. They are bit like the grammar of photographic language. Without using the correct constructs in language it can be very difficult to communicate meaning. Whether you realise it or not, as photographers that is exactly what we are doing trying to communicate ideas and feelings. If you dont know the language then the chances are you will not be able to communicate very effectively and your audience will be none the wiser from 'reading' your work.Once the rules are understood then we can begin to bend them, or sometimes even break them completely, without worrying that our message may be lost. In fact breaking the rules is most effectively used to specifically highlight an idea or concept that would perhaps otherwise be lost in the harmony of a more traditional composition. I think the key to success is to do it purposefully, you can't afford to be too restrained or people are liable to see it simply as a mistake. OK, I'm going to try to illustrate what I've talked about with some examples.
Rule 1: Don't use wide angle lenses for portraits.
Wide angle lenses are not normally employed for portraiture because they tend to distort a person's features. They do this because objects close to the lens are shown much larger than those just a little further away. This exaggeration can be used for comic effect - assuming your model has no objections!
Rule 2: Don't use full frontal flash
It is usually a cardinal sin to use direct flash lighting in creative photography. We are encouraged to use an element of side light to bring out the form of objects by introducing shadows. Front lighting puts the shadow directly behind the subject and in doing so tends to flatten the image. The technique can be successfully used to produce a high impact, dramatic treatment of the subject. Without a diffuser you can achieve hard shadows on the back drop which recalls the highly stylised film noir era. If you diffuse the light (as above) with tissue or some other translucent material then you can get a softer shadow with more resembles a halo. If you dont want a shadow at all then you must light your background separately, or use a ring flash which sends light out from around the lens itself.
Rule 3: Make your subject fill the frame
People often take snapshots of interesting subjects only to find that their subject is tiny when they come to view their photo on-screen. The mind tricks us when we look through the viewfinder into thinking that the subject is taking up far more space than it actually is in the frame. This is because snapshooters dont tend to look around the edges of the viewfinder; rather they concentrate only on the subject. Sometimes the context of the subject is as important to us as the subject itself, and in this case we want to deliberately minimise the space the subject inhabits so that the impact of the environment can be seen. When realised successfully then subject itself becomes the centre of attention despite being physically tiny in the frame.
Rule 4: Keep your horizon horizontal!
It's all about intent with this one. If you get your horizon even just a little bit squint then it will be immediately apparent that you got it wrong. If you want to add impact and dynamics to a shot then make sure you really go to town on the horizon make it clear what you have done was indeed intentional. It helps too if you can find other lines in the composition that complement the angle that the horizon makes - in this case the surfers board, body, arm, the kite handle and lines all work dynamically with the angle of rotation.
Rule 5: Avoid cluttered backgrounds
It is always a good idea to be aware of your backgrounds. Most of the time we want to simplify the background so that it doesn't compete for attention with out subject. We can do that by keeping it free of clutter, by using very limited Depth of Field and/or by avoiding eye-catching colours. Sometimes though, usually in documentary or journalistic photography, the background is important because it forms a context for the subject. It is still important to make sure the background is complementary to the subject otherwise it runs the risk of being distracting. In this case I really liked the way the pumpkins picked out the colour of the scooter on the left.
Rule 6: Freeze subject motion
Sometimes we can become obsessed about getting our images pin-sharp. When there is a lot of motion going on with perhaps several subjects the resulting sharp photo can look too complex and full of contrast. The classical example is a waterfall, where an image taken with a fast shutter renders the water almost like cut-crystal with lots and lots of detail and contrast, which can overwhelm the eye. The composition can be simplified by exposing for several seconds and letting the moving water become ethereal as it flows. The result is a more cohesive image which is easier for the eye to move through and appreciate. In this case I have panned on the boys as they ran. I think it suggests movement far better than the equivalent 'frozen' in time fast shutter shot.
Rule 7: Don't put your subject in the middle of the frame
The focus of this picture is St.Pauls Cathedral which appears dead centre in the image. What helps this photo to succeed is the use of the strong diagonals of the Millennium Bridge which lead the eye into the picture space and literally tell you where to look. The perspective gives a strong sense of depth which helps to balance the perfect lateral symmetry of the shot.