There are no rules of photography – merely guidelines

Source: 10 Myths About the Rule of Thirds. Photograph by Annie Leibovitz.

If what the the author of this post is trying to say is that there’s more to composition that blindly following the rule of thirds then I’d agree with him. I too have tended to over-rely on this rule. It’s a simple concept to follow and I believe can improve your photographs if you are just starting. The problem is, as the author suggests, that you for ever afterwards tend to see the world through rule of thirds gridlines and never get beyond that.

The difficulty I have with this article though is that the author attempts to replace the rule of thirds with yet another rule: dynamic symmetry, which seems infinitely more complex than the rule of thirds itself.

I would have thought that the message should have been “don’t rely on rules – they’re only suggestions” not “Ditch the rule of thirds and use DYNAMIC SYMMETRY”.

I very much agree with one of the comments: “Interesting article. One of the things i notice most is, if you draw enough lines everything is bound to line up with something.”

There is, indeed, more to composition that following rules. I’m still trying to understand what it is.

My name is Tavis Leaf Glover, and I’m an artist just like you, trying to create art that I can be proud of and share with the world. Though, something really hindered me in the beginning… the Rule of Thirds.

I want to shed some light on the Rule of Thirds Myths we’ve all been forcefully spoon fed during our creative infancy, which continues to linger as our compositions mature.

Perhaps we can change the future of art together if we help other artists abandon the rule of thirds and introduce them to the invaluable design techniques demonstrated throughout this article. I need your help because I can’t do it alone!

Like many other artists, I was brainwashed into thinking that the rule of thirds is an acceptable method of composing an image. I guess that depends on the standard of art you’d like to produce. Art at the Master Level, like Da Vinci, Bouguereau, Degas, Rubens, or art like a Sunday painter whose goal is to hang their painting in the local antique store… not the prestigious gallery or museum.

 

Ron

When we bought our lake house a few years ago we decided to remodel the kitchen. This brought us into contact with a number of interesting contractors who actually did the work. Ron was one of them. He’s presently an electrician and he did pretty much all of the electrical work on the kitchen (and in other places in the house). He’s from somewhere in the Caribbean – for some reason Trinidad comes to mind, but I might be wrong. He’s one of the nicest people you could hope to meet. He’s invariably friendly and takes adversity in his stride. Whenever I had any questions he was always willing stop for a while to explain things to me. He has a great sense of humor. It was a pleasure to have him working on the house. Here he is doing some of the work in the kitchen.

Clutter

This was taken inside Niese’s Maple Farm in our town of Putnam Valley. I’ve always loved clutter. Maybe it’s because I grew up in a very small house. I took an immediate liking to all this “stuff”: bottles, toys, signs, candles, jugs, buckets etc. Niese’s is a great place to visit, but don’t go just yet. They close for the Winter and re-open in mid-March.

For more pictures see my post on Niese’s Maple Farm

Owen Jones Memorial, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery

This spectacular memorial to Owen Jones is, with its gothic embellishments, to me one of the most striking in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. I’d been up at the top, nearer to the memorial, but close up I found it difficult to get a good angle on this rather large structure. I gave up and kept on walking and eventually I ended up down at the bottom looking up and I found this perspective much more pleasing. I didn’t know who Mr. Jones was, but according to New York’s Leading Industries, Historical Publishing Company, 1885:

Owen Jones’ Sons, Dry Goods, Nos. 171, 173, 175 Eighth Avenue and Nos. 300, 302, 304 West 19th Street. There are no commercial enterprises that add so greatly to the importance of the metropolis, as the modern dry goods palaces of the present day. New York is not behind any city in America or Europe in the possession of such enterprises as may easily be discovered by a visit to the extensive establishment of Owen Jones’ Sons, N. 175 Eighth avenue, corner of 19th street. This house was established in 1840 by Mr. Owen Jones, the father of the present proprietors, and since its inception at that period has always enjoyed a liberal and influential patronage from all classes of society. In 1884 Mr. Owen Jones died and his sons who had previously been admitted into partnership, succeeded to the business. Mr. Jones’ decease was deeply lamented not only by his immediate relatives, but by a large circle of friends and acquaintances in consequence of his generous disposition and unswerving honor, and it has left a vacancy in the firm which has been very difficult to fill. The just management and policy introduced by the father has been closely followed by the sons, and our readers will readily apprehend the truth of this statement, when informed that the trade resources of this house are twenty times greater than they were a quarter of a century ago, and even then the house was considered one of the most important in New York. The premises occupied are very spacious and commodious, and comprise a magnificent five-storied building with basement 75×100 feet in dimensions, and which forms an imposing architectural addition to this section of the city. The first floor is devoted to dry and facy goods; the second to ladies’ boy’s and children’s suits, underwear, millinery and shoes; the third to carpets and upholstery, and the fourth and fifth to furniture, etc. A large number of polite and attentive assistants find constant employment here, under the active supervision of experienced and competent heads, each of whom is responsible to the partners who direct with the greatest care the operations of this vast establishment. With reference to the manner in which every detail is attended to, visitors will find this house not only elegantly appointed, but steam heated throughout, all the floors being connected by means of elevators, and all the prominent points in the city brought within speaking distance by telephone. So far as the character of the stock and its exent is concerned, it may be stated, that it is unsurpassed by any other contemporary concern, and embraces a diversity simply impossible to describe in dress goods, from the cheapest prints to the most expensive silk and velvet fabrics, ladies’ and gentlemen’s furnishing goods and hosiery, linens, woolens, cotton and mixed articles of every texture and description, upholstery and furniture, fancy notions and in short everything conceivable that would properly be classed under these general headings. All goods are purchased direct from manufacturers both in this country and in Europe in large quantities, and the principle on which the business is conducted is that of just dealing, giving full value for money and obtaining emolument rather in increased sales than in large individual profits. The members of this firm are well fitted by experience and ability to successfully conduct the affairs of this house, and are held in the highest estimation by the community for their generosity and integrity. In every respect this concern may be considered a representative one, prompt, liberal and enterprising. All its operations are conducted with a scrupulous regard for the interests of all patrons, and business relations once entered into with it are certain to become as pleasant as they will be profitable and satisfactory to all concerned.

On the streets of NY

I don’t do much street photography. It usually involves people and I have something of aversion to taking pictures of people I don’t know. Once in a while I’ll give it a try though, just to see what kind of results I can get. This was taken somewhere (I don’t remember exactly where) on the east side of Manhattan. I do recall that I was using a Sony NEX 5n with a Canon 50mm f1.4 in Leica thread mount. Since I had no autofocus and I can’t focus manually quickly I’d pre-focused on the grid in the middle of the road and waited for someone to come by. For once I managed to get the focus about right. All in all I quite like it, but I don’t see me spending lots of time on this genre.