THE ART OF TRANSGRESSING THE RULES OF COMPOSITION IN PHOTOGRAPHY [UPDATED]

Every time we publish an article related to the basic composition rules to achieve a correct photograph there is movement in the Social Networks, because debates arise about whether to respect the photographic rules or if instead they are made to be skipped. I love to see the different opinions of some, defenders of respecting the rules, and others, detractors of any pre-established photographic rule. I also want to share my point of view. First, go ahead that this is a totally subjective issue. There is no single true vision. All opinions here are valid. What I am going to expose here is only the way a server sees things. Whether you think the same or if you seem otherwise, I will be happy to read your point of view below in the comments.

THE ORIGIN OF PHOTOGRAPHIC RULES

All rules have an origin. The rules of photography are not capricious inventions of photographers with excess creativity. Many of these rules find their origin in the brain of the human being, in how we are made, in how we perceive things and in how we feel them. The rules of composition, for example, mainly seek to enhance the aesthetics of the subject and give prominence by activating certain mechanisms in our brain. When you look at a photograph, the first thing your eyes are fixed on is the brightest areas. It is a fact. We are done like this. The rules of composition, therefore, do nothing more than translate this brain behavior of the human being into a rule of composition. Other rules, very basic, such as fill flash, or RAW shooting, have their logic in making life easier for the photographer. They are not aesthetic fashions, but rather means to achieve a more successful photograph. In the constant struggle of the photographer to capture the light any element of profit is welcome. The rules of photographic composition are the same as those applied to painting since they are similar activities. Its observance generates images easier to understand by our mind. However, breaking them expressly we can also create attractive images. Let's look at some rules and principles of composition with examples of compliance and non-compliance. Principles: Center of interest, directionality, law of sight, contrast, symmetry, law of the horizon. Rules: Rule of thirds, rule of odd ones, simplification, limitation of focus. It is clear that complying with these rules does not guarantee a perfect photo, but we will achieve that it complies with certain canons recognized as of aesthetic value. In this article we will see some examples that do comply with some rule and others how to skip it creatively.

SKIP THE PHOTOGRAPHIC RULES? YES, BUT ...

My opinion: I love that people skip the rules. There is nothing wrong with that. Now, with one, only one condition: to understand and master them first. If you don't understand the logic behind a certain photographic rule well and quickly rush to skip it, you run the risk of neglecting some important element in your photo. Of course you can skip the rules you want. You are the photographer, you are the creator, the artist, the owner of your little world. You can do whatever you want. If your picture succeeds, nobody will question you for having transgressed a rule. But please, don't let the motive be ignorance and ignorance. Get informed Know all the possible rules. Learn them Practice them. Master them. When you reach that level, apply them or skip them as your artist's inspiration suggests.

MANUAL TO TRANSGRESS 10 + 1 PHOTOGRAPHY RULES (WITH ART)

And now, some ideas to transgress the rules.

1) CENTER OF INTEREST

Every image must have a strong point, a center of interest, a dominant place or area that ends up focusing our gaze. On the contrary, photos of repetitive or chaotic textures can be very suggestive without having a defined center of interest.

Patterns without center of interest

2) DIRECTIONALITY

It is the quality of the image to direct the viewer's gaze throughout the image following the lines that are in it. There are images that do not need to have directionality to be attractive to the observer.

3) LAW OF THE GAZE

Although it is recommended to leave free space in front of the gaze or direction of the scene, sometimes directing the viewer in the opposite direction can give more strength to the scene. Leaving your eyes out of space can help you enhance a feeling of anguish, stress or lack of freedom.

Breaking the law of the eye with an intention

4) THE CONTRAST

The differences of colors, tones or shadows and lights, create masses that attract and repel and force the viewer to travel the image. On other occasions the total absence of tones or contrasts can be equally interesting. I leave you with a photo of contrasts and another without contrast

Contrast photography of light and shadow

Goodbye contrast

5) SYMMETRY

The absence of exact symmetry, in general, is more suggestive, since it is something that is not usually found in nature in the usual way. Forcing symmetry can be captivating if done with tino.

Mirror symmetry

6) HORIZON LAW

According to the rules, as a general rule, the horizon should never be placed right in the center of the frame. That does not mean that sometimes the center is not a good place for the horizon. It is a way of transmitting calm and stability.

7) RULE OF THIRDS

If we make two vertical and two horizontal lines creating 9 frames of identical size, intersections are generated called points of interest. If we place our compositional elements on these lines and intersections, the image will gain more strength; As you can see in the first photo, where the protagonist is the boat. However, sometimes it also works to place the protagonist right in the center, look at the second image.

The boat as the protagonist in one of the intersection points of the rule of thirds

Composition with element in the center

8) ODD RULE

According to this rule, a landscape with 3 or 5 trees is more attractive than with 4, for example. In our mind odd structures, visually it seems to have more strength. But there are cases in which this is not necessarily true, for example, when we achieve a symmetrical image with impact. The symmetry, logically, can only be even: each element corresponds to a reflection, so you will always see pairs of elements.

9) SIMPLIFICATION

It is said that "less is more". The same happens in the composition of images. A simple, simple image, with few elements well placed, is usually very captivating. However, in other cases, the extreme complexity of a fractal image can hypnotize us even more if possible, as is the case with the photo in section 1. Or a scene with a lot of information like this that Jota Barros analyzes in his blog.

10) FOCUS LIMITATION

Or selective focus, which consists of focusing only a small portion of the image, coinciding with the center of interest and leaving the rest very (or totally) out of focus. In this way, the main motif is separated from the rest of the image, giving it more importance and focusing on it. On other occasions it is not necessary to do this or it is even interesting to leave the whole image fully focused. In landscape photography it is common to find images that violate several of the principles listed so far as this photo of the City of Arts and Sciences of Valencia.

It has symmetry, it does not have a specific center of interest, the horizon is in the center and it is totally focused and the photo keeps its full strength, right?

11) OTHER UNWRITTEN RULES

In addition to what has been seen, there are some other unwritten composition rules that are also interesting to transgress. As a general rule, the photos should not be moved, but the movement made on purpose, experimenting with it, in certain circumstances, can produce very suggestive and attractive images, such as the following:

When movement becomes art

The horizon must be, that, horizontal, but at the same time that we make unusual frames such as chopped or contrapicures, we should experiment by tilting the camera, looking for directionality, intention, movement, imbalance. The result of this practice sure gives good results. Another element that is supposed to be present in the images is a focused portion, but what would happen if the whole image were out of focus? You can play to blur the whole image to evoke past memories or a future to come, a person who moves away or one who approaches. If we join the blur with the movement and the inclined framing we can create images with great force ... or useless chestnuts . But is that not the fun of taking pictures, trying something new every day and learning new ways to create? As you can see each rule there is an image that contradicts it, what are they for then? As the rules of the metric in poetry serve to have a pattern of creation. But as happens on a trip, the road to reach the destination can be a boring highway, full of monotony. We all know that the most beautiful landscapes are off the roads, cross country. Thanks for reading the Photographer's Blog. If you enjoy what you read, please share it.