----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2007 10:30
AM
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?
No. I can't prove this, but I
believe there is no such thing as too much knowledge. There can be an
inability to distinguish between what is important and what is not in regards
to "rules" in any given situation.
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.
I find no problem with thinking
about any "rule". I learned the 2/3s "rule" about 40 years ago (yeah, I'm
an old guy). I rarely, if ever, think about it now. I just use some variation
of it "naturally", if appropriate. Even if I do think about it (usually
because someone has just mentioned it) it doesn't mean I use it. I'm not
an automaton locked by rules i've learned. You might say that the "rule of
2/3s" has become natural for me, when it seems appropriate.
I'm not sure what you mean by
"compose naturally". I know you
don't mean "haphazardly", which is what most regular folks seem find to
be most natural. Apparently you either have an innate sense regarding
composition, or, though experience and/or the photography of others, have
generated rules of composition for yourself. Just because we are unaware of
some of the rules we've generated for ourselves, doesn't mean they don't
exist. It would be nice if some of you masters out there would get mentally
in touch with what you are doing, composition wise, and find a way to
articulate it.
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.
Again, most "intuitive composition" by regular
folks is crap. I've seen a lot of it. Believe be, you know what you are doing
for a reason, whether you are aware of it or not.
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?
Again, it's just a tool like any
other tool. You can use it or you can use some other
tool perhaps one that is either innate or one that you learned
through experience or you can experiment with something new. It's irrelevant
to the photograph where the "sense" for composition comes from or whether the
photographer is aware of it's source or not - but it is relevant to others who
hope to learn. It would be nice if you were aware of and could articulate your
means for "seeing" compelling composition. Then we could benefit from your
knowledge and experience. Until then, as regards anyone benefiting from your
gift, you are useful only to yourself and to those who may enjoy your
photography.
I wonder.
Excellent wondering. Now try to
figure out what you are actually doing so that you can help
me.
