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Breaking the Rules

Breaking the Rules

Intentionally or not, I sometimes find myself breaking the rules of photography. The sunflower below was captured early in my days of photography. Do you think it was framed this way in camera or cropped? Either way, it breaks the rule of thirds by leaving all that empty space on one side.

The ostrich on the right was photographed in 2024. Same question, did I crop off its body intentionally in camera or was it edited this way after the fact?

In the last photo below, the rebel that I truly am comes through. I enjoy this photo because it doesn’t completely break all the rules. . . and yet, it doesn’t completely follow them either.

A large tree with lush green leaves stands next to the ocean, with a mountain range visible in the background against a soft sunset sky.

Is the negative space at the top left too much? There is some of the tree on that top left third, right? Yes, a lot of the tree has been cropped but it creates tension, doesn’t it?

Now it is your turn to let me know what you think in the comments below. Another landscape with similar framing as above was featured on “A Time and Place to Retrospect.”


All photos are my own. ©Pepper Tron/Heaven’s Sunshine
No usage allowed in any form without my written consent.


Posted for Lens-Artists Challenge – Unusual Crop

50 responses to “Breaking the Rules”

  1. They are lovely shots, especially the flower. Nice work, well done 😉

    1. So glad you enjoyed the images. Thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to comment. 😊

  2. Cleverly done, especially the sunflower 🙂

    1. Thanks, Sofia. I appreciate your comment. 😉

  3. Love that last capture, perhaps even more so because it doesn’t follow all the “rules”!

    1. I agree with you completely. 😁

  4. Very nice! Rules in photography, I look at them as suggestions 😏

    1. Thanks, Belinda. Yes, the rules are a good suggestions or a good starting place.

  5. I think you need to know the rules of photography only to break them. The ultimate question is “will it work anyway” and that’s when creativity happens. All three are great photos that I think they work fine.

    1. I agree with you completely. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment. 😊

  6. I like all three photos, Pepper!

    I especially like the landscape with the huge tree. It has repeated shapes that are pleasing to the eye. The movement in the photo makes it great! 👍

    1. Thanks, Cheryl. I truly appreciate your input. It is helpful. 😉

  7. Pepper, I like all of these but that tree image is superb 👏

    1. Thanks, Steve. The tree image has been one of my favorites too for a long time. 😉

  8. Years ago when I got my 35mm camera, I took photography classes, but then I have never have used what I learned as to lighting and manual settings and have always shot on automatic. I did learn about composition, but I don’t think you always have to have precise composition and follow the rule of thirds. The sunflower in profile is enhanced by seeing more of the dark background. The ostrich’s long neck seems even longer when you don’t see its body. (I did this same thing a few weeks ago with my featured image of the heron – all you saw was its head and neck and shot it like that.) It’s nice to see the landscape in the background with a hint of tree. I know there are rules, but rules are meant to be broken!

    1. I agree that rules should be broken when it comes to creativity. Otherwise, it is easy to get stuck in a photography rut. 😊

      1. Yes, that’s true too. Be original and creative and true to yourself always.

  9. I am a big fan of empty space. Gives photos a meditative feel.
    Cheers,
    Julie

    1. Thanks, Julie. I do enjoy enjoy empty space too. 😊

  10. All great shots! I like the flower 🙂

    1. Thanks. The flower has been the favorite for most. 😊

  11. These are all wonderful Pepper – your yellow flower is stunning and I love the way you presented it.

    1. Thanks, Tina. So glad to know that you enjoyed the yellow flower. It has been one of my favorites, too.

  12. My favorite is the final image. Breathtaking!

    1. Tha last one seems to be the winner! thanks for commenting, Sandy. 😊

  13. Pepper, what a gorgeous gallery! I love the breathing room for the sunflower. The images are great, and the closing shot is amazing. Beautiful.

    1. Egidio, I appreciate your comment so much. Have a wonderful week. 😊

      1. Same to you.

  14. Rules? What rules? 😉

    1. Umm. . . .I forgot! 😉

  15. Rules are meant to be broken! 😉

    1. I agree completely! 😉

  16. They’re each nicely composed! I break the rules all the time!!

    1. Thanks, Donna. I think breaking the rules makes the photo more interesting at times. 😉

  17. All great shots and they are more dynamic without following the rule of thirds. That ostrich was definitely an example of portrait mode! That eye grabs me!

    1. Yes, the eyes of an ostrich! They have such awkward looking bodies but their eyes are amazing when seen up close. 😊

  18. The landscape shot is lovely!

    1. Thanks! That landscape is one of my favorites in my library because it is Maui, my favorite place ever. 😁

  19. Pepper you have done well in you crops, of these my favorite is the landscape. In the first two lovely shots you could have been bolder for this challenge, I see you asking the question from Brian, so I thought I’d say my opinion. Hope you do not mind.

    1. Of course I don’t mind, Ritva. That’s what challenges are all about. I think that Brian agrees with you as well. I’ll be working on stretching things a bit further out of the box, for sure. 😉

  20. I would say your sunflower composition was deliberate. I break the rules of photography all the time by just taking photos in ways that I like.

    1. You are right! The framing of the sunflower was deliberate and so was the ostrich and the Maui landscape. 😊

  21. I saw rules schmoolz Irene

    1. hehe! I love the sound of sdhmootz, Brian, but what does it mean? Did I go too far or not far enough in breaking the rules? 😆

      1. As in who cares about rules. I take a photo because I like what I take 😁

        1. Got it and you’ve got me right, too. Yes, I do care about rules. Hey, I’m an Air Force veteran and trained to walk a straight line. 😁

          1. Propaganda never sunk in with me 😂

            1. Should have known! 😂

Thoughtful words accomplish much.

error: All photos are copyrighted by Pepper Tron (aka Irene Tron & Heavens Sunshine). All rights reserved. Unauthorized use is prohibited.