8 Photography Rules You Can Ignore
Rules are meant to be broken so we've updated the list of ways you can do this so you can take more creative shots.
Compositional rules are there as guides, but that doesn't mean you always have to use them. Sometimes breaking the rules can help you create an image that's far more striking, so here are 8 more ways how breaking the guidelines can help you create an image that has far more impact.
1. Centre Your Subject
With the rule of thirds, you have to ensure that your main point of focus is positioned on one or more of the four intersecting lines on the nine-square grid you have to imagine is sitting over your image.
However, there are some shots where placing your subject in the middle of it will give you a more striking image. For example, a road or path stretching off towards the horizon, starting so it fills the frame and winding away until it vanishes can look better when positioned in the centre.
The same goes for shots with lots of symmetry. A long table that's set for dinner with rows of chairs and lines of plates, glasses and cutlery on it will make a more interesting photograph if positioned in the centre of the frame, while photographing escalators, steps, piers and tunnels so they sit in the centre of the frame can help exaggerate their length, giving the impression that they go on forever. Portraits are more pleasing to the eye when you use the rule of thirds grid but if you're shooting a portrait that has a more creepy, unusual feel to it, positioning your subject in the centre of the shot will enhance this uneasy feeling.
2. Split Your Image In Two
When you're working with the horizon or lines you should avoid splitting the image in two, so horizons should be slightly higher or lower, depending on where the interest is and lines should be positioned to the left or right of the centre line. However, cutting your image in two will give you a shot that has a lot of impact, particularly if you're going for something more abstract where strong blocks of colour are your focus. Read More…
