P3D Re: What did I learn last night...

["David Lee" <koganlee@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

There have been several messages on rules of composition in the past week or
so. While I believe it is important to get as much information as possible,
I nevertheless tend to fall into the anti-"rules of composition" camp. I
believe that most photographic situations are simply too complex to lend
themselves to any such rules. My recommendation is to:
1) identify an area that is of potential interest.
2) either with a viewing frame or the camera's viewfinder, frame the scene
until it appears to be as organized as possible. This may entail moving the
camera or changing lenses or both.
3) carefully examine the final scene in the viewfinder to be sure that every
element in it adds to the overall effect you would like to convey.

In my experience as a community college photo instructor I found that many
people never really look at everything in the image until their attention is
directed to it. I believe this will help ones compositional skills more than
any rules of composition.

For what it's worth, here's what Ansel Adams had to say about composition:
    "For photographic compositions I think in terms of creating
configurations out of chaos, rather than following any conventional rules of
composition." (This is from his book "Examples," which I believe is his most
enlightening and entertaining book.)

Edward Weston was even more unabashedly critical of rules of composition
(though these passages are from his diary-like "Daybooks of Edward Weston,
Book II, California.")
      "...I do not, consciously disregard composition, or try to break
rules. I see  things in my own way, thus establishing precedents, making
rules, -- for others!" p. 145.
    "...so called "composition" becomes a personal thing to be developed
along with technique as a personal way of seeing. So composition cannot be
taught. Rules of composition are theories deducted by the disciples of some
master who without thought of how or why, recorded his own intense
observations in his own way. Others then copy and set to formulae." p. 155.
   "No one can teach another how to see. If composition could be taught,
anyone might become an artist. Composition is a way of seeing -- strong or
weak according to the individual. Rules of composition are duduced from the
work of strong masters and used by weak imitators to produce -- nothing!" p.
172.


David Lee
koganlee@xxxxxxxxxxxxx