rules, rules, rules
at some point in time, during human evolution, people put rules upon photography. they decided a picture should be correctly exposed, and definitely possess the politically correct composition or angle. they use a variety of filters, stylish lenses and other expensive equipment, in order to do justice with their photographs.
no balance
 |
more than one story
 |
subject is missing
 |
the science (art?) of photography
as it is, photography is highly technical.
One's bound to know all about the aspect ratio of a picture, the perfect position of the point of interest, the existence of implicit lines.
let's not forget the horizontal line, the shapes, the brightness, the shades, tones and colors.
and this is before even going into the rule of the thirds, the amount of light, depth of focusing, perspective, the film's sensitivity, the motion, distance from the subject, placement of other important objects in the frame, the balance between the two, contrast, the length of the lens, the type of fixture, the desired depth of field. and the list goes on and on.
so many parameters need to be taken into consideration. precision is often crucial.
so you can spend your time making sure you're in control of all elements at all times.
if you so wish, you can fascinate yourself with all sorts of calculations. no problem.
but meanwhile, excuse me, I'll be moving on.
too far
 |
too blury
 |
too busy
 |
the history of rules
seems like from the beginning of time, even before Niepce produced the first photographic image, many artists chose to follow the same politically correct path, forming the rules of arts, reaching a mutual understanding of what is ideal and pleasing to our delicate eye and without offending any known scientific law.
surely, different approaches to photography produced various movements dissimilar in ideas and characteristics, but identical in forming clubs, trends and styles, each of them employing their own specific guidelines.
subject moving out the frame
 |
subject is centered
 |
no main subject
 |
on the other hand
non-photography represents the individual's [artistic] self-expression which cannot be categorized into a style or a movement with its own list of characteristics and guidelines.
And while emphasizing "deep simplicity" it offers an unrestrained thought by freeing the individual from any external measures and "required" stylish photography gear.
It cannot be taught.
being in control of all the technical parameters in order to produce a "flawless" image will never guarantee anything more than that, a highly perfectly exposed photograph.
the non-photographer moves around freely [and gracefully], a subject to an inner desire.
which means the non-photographer has no use for;
- the common camera's add-ons [ they slow him/her down]
- photographer's appliances [ too heavy ]
- instruction books [ too boring ]
- calculations [ too calculated ]
busy background
 |
no background
 |
no rules
since there was no one in the written history of the world just like you, nor will there ever be, there could not be any reasonable explanation for the existence of rules.
keeping that in mind, the common rules of photography are abandoned [not broken! mastering the rules in order to break'em is another form of limiting one's self expression.]
composing, designing and executing a great picture forever must be free of the external dos and don'ts. it needs to be independent of the rule or control of another.
following the rules, one is less likely to take chances, dare and/or come up with their own style and self-expression.
but have no fear, as in time, composing your images "correctly" and mastering all the technicalities, becomes second nature.
everything falls into place.
and you need not even think about it.
odd cropping
 |
negative space
 |
no eye contact
 |
the non-photographer at work
non-photography being as such [i.e. free of the photographer's extra cargo], the non-photographer's main tools [other than the camera and film] will be;
(1)enthusiasm, (2)an open mind and hopefully some (3)creativity.
therefore, instead of wondering which lens will be appropriate to use for a given scene, the non-photographer will gracefully move around in order to find the desired distance from the subject.
the brave non-photographer will not be afraid of tilting the camera or risking the well being of her/his new clothes while making a close-to-the-ground photograph.
and in order to prevent carrying around a set of filters, the non-photographer uses different effects film, pushes the film or makes long exposure photographs.
In addition, the non-photographer is always excited about taking advantage of nature natural effects like; making pictures in the rain, fog or even at night [the non-photographer always welcomes these low-budget special effects].
follow this link to learn more about street non-p, shooting at night, taking benefit of nature's events,
color non-p and more.
also check out the self review page for non-p techniques.
over exposed
 |
under exposed
 |
out of focus
 |
Deep simplicity (is the name of the game)
in fact our mind better be free of all technical data and directed inward, to the deepest point of the actual self [you've probably heard something about it somewhere before].
otherwise, forget about it.
go snapshot your lovely family. and don't forget to focus!
|