The classic rules of photography
People often refer to “the classic rules of photography”: “This photo follows the classic rules …” or “it broke all the classic rules …” and so on. But what are those “classic rules” anyway? I thought about it a bit and came up with the following five rules, all ancient and time-honored, as you would expect when something is called classic. But nothing is fixed with cement and rules like these have been violated with excellent results time and time again. But they are also there for a reason, as they probably represent something that the majority people mainly find nice the majority of the times. Not everyone all the time. So what are they, these classic rules of photography?
Rule No. 1: F / 8 and be there!
This is rule number one and it has little to do with your camera and technical proficiency, as is the case with the other four rules. Read this rule again, breathe it in, and live it. As simple as it sounds, it is the most important of all the rules in photography.
The part about f / 8 refers to a camera setting, or rather a lens aperture setting. It is a technical detail and it is not really important. But at the same time, it’s what makes this rule so memorable.
It’s not bad advice to use f / 8, it’s a pretty standard value and often safe to use if you want to make sure you’re focusing on your subject without much thought.
But its true value is that it reduces all the complicated art and technology problems to that simple 1 letter, 1 number, f / 8 statement (just read eight), the hidden message is: Forget the technicalities, focus on the subject. . Simple and brilliant.
In my experience it is mostly used in the context of news photography, where it is certainly important to be on the spot when something happens. But I would not forget it in the context of normal people’s lives, photos of peaceful landscapes, and even photos for the family album. Whatever photo you want to capture, it needs to be there first. You have to get up and go, walk that extra mile, lose that hour of sleep, do whatever it takes to get there with your camera.
A talented but lazy photographer is not necessarily as successful as a very active and less talented one. Because you have to be there.
Rule # 2: The decisive moment
A term coined by photography legend Henri Cartier-Bresson. A kind of temporary version of rule number 1. Together we could call these two rules: “Being in the right place at the right time.”
But there is more to this rule than being there at the right time. You have to press the shutter button at exactly the decisive moment, when all the elements of the photo (perhaps including the photographer himself) are suddenly brought together in a fraction of a second. The blink of an eye and it’s gone again. The man jumping over the puddle has touched down again, the boy in the background has turned his head away from the kissing couple, and the dying soldier has fallen to the ground.
It happens so fast that it’s hard for us to see and react before it’s over. But that is one of the great charms of photography. You can capture these elusive moments and make them last forever, in print. For Cartier-Bresson it was intuitive. “Think before and after taking a picture, not while you’re taking it.”
It could be said that sports photography has many defining moments, but in my book they don’t really count as it is just a game and not a slice of reality. I know that Cartier-Bresson in his book began by quoting someone “there is nothing in the world that does not have a defining moment”, but I do not want to get into the discussion here. Many people who are more sports enthusiasts than I am would probably disagree with me, but I think there are more real defining moments in the stadium seats than on the field.
Rule No. 3: go close
– And when you’ve done that, come even closer! Coined by another photography legend, Robert Capa, who died following this rule, camera in hand, when he stepped on a landmine in the Franco-Indochinese war. But not all situations, of course, are life and death situations. So use it whenever you can, and your photos will in many cases have a stronger appeal and provide a more intimate connection between subject and viewer.
Again, it’s not just for news photos. If you are portraying normal life, it is equally important to get close to people. Enter their homes and private lives where they themselves are. Do it in a way that is neither intrusive nor offensive. It will give you an honest and intimate view of life.
This rule generally involves the use of a wide angle lens, which tends to give a more “open” perspective. A lot can also be said about long telephoto lenses in photography, and they have their place. Especially in fields like wildlife and sports photography, where it is often impossible to be close to the action.
Rule # 4: The rule of thirds
This is one of these rules that is great to follow and just as great to break. But photography would be a little less without it. In short, it tells you to place the main subject, not in the center of the frame, but slightly to the left or right, one-third in the frame. And also to place any dominant horizontal lines in your photo, such as the horizon, one third in the frame from the top or bottom. Just not in the center.
Arguably, this will give your photo a more attractive, eye-pleasing look by leaving significant space on one side of the subject for the surroundings. The ruler, also known as the divine ratio and the golden mean, has been used by painters for thousands of years. Having survived so long, there has to be something about it!
Rule No. 5: use the light
The magic hours, the time around sunrise, and the time around sunset have a nice soft light that works especially well for landscape and outdoor photography. It is always the light that creates the photograph. For interior photography and portraits, use a barn door or, if you don’t live on a farm, a large window without direct sunlight will also do. Place your subject close to the window and you will get nice soft light from different angles that will fall on your subject. You can also set up all your studio lighting if you prefer not to rely on ever-changing natural light.