> Tom Trottier [mailto:Tom@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] wrote:
> My suggestion is to look thru books of pictures (photos, paintings,
> drawings...) and see what appeals to you....
>
> ....Learn the rules. Then break them.
I've not attended any courses, though I've read scads of How to/
Technique/"Encyclopedia"-type books. They certainly have their
value for the technical knowledge they provide.
However, as Tom suggests, for me (an enthusiastic but very new
and not-so-skilled photographer), those "books of pictures" have
been one of the greatest helps. Although I wish many of them
weren't so darn expensive (magazines help here), they, like
a manual camera, slow you down so that you look to see *why*
they are, in your eye, good pictures. Matching that eye with
other pictures that appeal, with the technical knowledge you
have, and with the "rules of composition" is most enlightening.
Which leads to "Learn the rules. Then break them.". Again, I
agree, but I'd insert between the statements the phrase "Practice
the rules." My photography is improving using those compositional
ideas, even if my photos currently lack originality. Unsurprisingly,
my better portraits are becoming more appealing to
photography-illiterate
(not meant as an insult) friends, and I have just today had three
8x10"s made at their request - they're not great, or even "good" by
any stretch, but they are now good enough by their standards. I can
see that they are better, and I can see that while they lack
originality, where the possibilites are for rules to fray at the
edges. So, I'll keep practicing for now.
Of course, I'm purely talking about my own experiences - I need to
crawl before I can walk - but it's working slowly for me. Of course,
I'm sure others have gone straight from crawling to extreme-skiing,
in which case they're probably making and breaking their own rules <g>
Cheers
Marc
Sydney, Oz
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