RE: A more outrageous question

[Rene <rene@xxxxxx>]

Title: Message

I think I am closest in response to Mario. I "know" the rule of thirds, but I don't think about it when I am shooting. I used to go out with a 36 exposure roll of film and it would take me days maybe even weeks to shoot the roll. I just found I could not press the shutter if I did not like what I saw through the view finder. I probably missed good shots.

 

I have had a mentor who has tried to free me up a bit in that area by having me go to one location and shoot as many shots as I could in a fairly short amount of time. But, I still find it hard.

 

The only rule (suggestion at a workshop) that I am sort of conscious of is "pay attention to centers and edges". I think in general I do that, but it is part of my reluctance to click if it does not look good to me. I know, I know, I am not shooting news events or weddings where you HAVE to get the shot. I also have only recently taken some online classes. I am mostly self-taught and through workshops. I think I have a lot of technical weaknesses, but reasonably good compositional skills.

 

I actually got into photography by reviewing my husbands 35 mm contact sheets and suggesting which ones I thought were good. He got a new camera and I picked up the old one and started shooting SLOWLY.

 

Rene

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-photoforum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:owner-photoforum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Herschel Mair
Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2007 1:31 PM
To: List for Photo/Imaging Educators - Professionals - Students
Subject: A more outrageous question

Could you concieve of a situation where technical knowledge could impair the taking of a good photograph.

Or

Is it possible that one can know too much, to the extent that it dulls one's perception of the subject or prevents one getting close enough to the essence of the subject.

Perhaps because one is thinking more about the technical issues than the subject's issues?

 

I wonder how, once I know about the rule of thirds, do I NOT think about it when composing a picture.

 

Can one "NOT"  think about it and compose naturally once you've been taught it?

It's a somewhat recursive question.

 

My humble opinion is that you can't choose to remove it from the equation so you must choose to act with it or against it. but one way or another there's  no way to go back to totally free, fully intuitive comosition.

 

So how do we assess the effect of the rule of thirds on the medium as an art form? Doesn't it give us a conformiy. A sameness?

 

I wonder.

herschel

"Emily L. Ferguson" <elf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Been going through piles of paper and I found this little gem:

There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs - AA
There is nothing worse than a brilliant image of a fuzzy concept - AA
--
Emily L. Ferguson
mailto:elf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
508-563-6822
New England landscapes, wooden boats and races
http://www.landsedgephoto.com
http://e-and-s.instaproofs.com/

Herschel Mair
Head of the Department of Photography,

Higher College of Technology
Muscat
Sultanate of Oman

Adobe Certified instructor

 

+ (986) 99899 673

 

www.herschelmair.com

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