When do I "break the rules?"
The rules of composition were established by the Masters of Art( Davinci, Michaelangelo) eons ago. These rules were used to create a journey in an image and to keep the viewer captivated. The masters wanted to keep their audience from looking away from their art.
Some examples of rules are: The horizon line in the top 1/3 or bottom 1/3 of the image; The main subject of the image should not be centered; The image must have balance between light and dark; The horizon must be level( no weird angles) ; The eyes of the main subject should look into the middle of the image( not look out).
So, when do I break the rules? I don't! I prefer to keep things simple in my photographs and take the viewer on a journey. I want their eyes to travel though out my photograph, have a main subject or resting place, and then continue to observe different aspects of my image.
If I were to "break the rules," I would place my horizon in the middle of the image or place my subject in the center of the picture. Or, I would use extreme odd angles. But extreme angles in Landscape Photography make the viewer feel like they are falling off the page!
Breaking the rules usually created some unknown tension for the viewer, which I don't want to do. I want to create a sense of place.
<a href="http://fineartamerica.com/art/photographs/scenics/all" style="font: 10pt arial; text-decoration: underline;">scenics photos</a>
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