The Blog

Just about everything has rules, the rule of Law, Physics, Mathematics, Decency and yes Photography.

Some of these are intertwined, Sometimes you need to break the rules, (not the law of course) physics is unyielding, Decency, that is a judgment call, Math well today with the math of common Core, I think they tossed out all of the rules.

In Photography there are some old school rules too, for instance the rule of thirds. Balancing your subject with the rest of the viewable area, having everything in view line up in a regimented format. This practice allows certain functionality but often results in a cookie cutter result.

Focus, Shutter speed and Bokeh, when to freeze or unfreeze a subject, allowing the background to fade or highlight the surrounding landscape that captures the image.

Lighting is another area, balance, fill and kicker lamps have their place, but challenging the rules and having an imbalance of light can offer some surprisingly pleasing results, ambient light can also be molded into a scene.

The Subject itself can be manipulated, whether in a time or space continuum to allow for a different perspective than what the eye has been conditioned to see.

Color is a key element most viewers are drawn too brilliant colors, however it is often the subdued tones or dare I say it, Black and White Images which present the most dramatic effect.

The key to Monochrome photography is lighting, the depth and soul of an image is revealed in the starkness of black and white and there are no substitutions or place to hide in this arena of the photo gods.

So whether you are planning a shot or just happen to be in the right place at the right time, trying to catch the essence of a moment sometimes bending or breaking the rules is the only way to get there.

The photo above is an example of everything going wrong, yet it worked. (I think it did)

The young Diva having just brought the proverbial house down with an incredible operatic performance quickly leaves the stage, bathed in both a standing ovation and the overwhelming spotlight, the Master of Ceremonies blurred to the right as he waves his arm towards this performer while announcing her once again.

The audience out of sight to the right but you can sense their presence. The darkened shadows of the next performers in the background await their turn under the lights. The young lady approaches half in the shadows and aglow with both relief and satisfaction clearly etched on her face.

There was no time to plan this shot, I had rules to follow, No Flash, No noise, so I had the camera set to its quiet mode which slows down the shutter release, I had both the darkness and brilliant spot in which to contend and a moving subject, I had only one shot, I waited for her to get closer, as the darkness of the back stage released her, I took the shot.

Virtually nothing was in clear focus, the light is stark, everything in the background is totally blurred due to the f-stop being opened up all the way, the shutter speed slowed down to allow the light in, but not enough to get white washed in the spotlight, there was a lot going on, somehow this fleeting moment of triumph was caught…

You have to know the rules in order to break them properly… this is just one example.