Breaking the rules: more by accident than on purpose…

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I’m not sure what was going on when I took this photo. An unintended composition, methinks: camera aslant; subject leaving the scene; shooting into the sun.  An all round combination of errors, but then I also quite like the end result.

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Here both the camera person and the subject were on the move, in other words, me snatching this shot of an uphill cyclist through the car windscreen; caught on a bend in the  Llanberis Pass, North Wales.

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Next at Plas Newydd, Anglesey in late December, taking a photo when there wasn’t enough light and leaving a twig in the way:

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Taken on Newborough Beach back in March: too much negatives space; subject out of focus and also leaving the frame. But then that’s kite-flying for you.

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And camera on the wrong setting for a winter’s day on Seaton Beach, Cornwall. It seems to have created an oil painting effect:

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And last but not least of strange creations:

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It took me a while to work out what I’d done here. Basically it’s a photo of a frosted spider’s web stretched outside the window of other half’s old Wenlock shed. But you can see both the shed interior and the reflection off the window which seems to show neighbouring rooftops and some of the garden.

Lens-Artists: Break the rules  This week Ritva tells us to break the rules. See her post for some inspiration.

60 thoughts on “Breaking the rules: more by accident than on purpose…

  1. Rules are made to be broken, ‘specially for the artist. I love these photos and tell me that you never intentionally omitted an Oxford comma just cause you liked the way that the line lay on the paper better that way. Hmm?

  2. The beach day is rather lovely, and I’ve never quite perfected out of the car window shots. I always manage to get the lamppost or the railings instead of the beautiful sunset beyond xx

  3. Well, Mistakes in Photography rule, eh? All tell a story, and doubtless revive a memory ot two as well. My personal favourite is the last one, which would get past any scrutiinising committee and earn its place in the photography exhibition that Ritva is doubtless planning.😉

  4. Great images! You could only have shown the drama of kite flying with that image! The Cornwell beach is cool. And I especially like the spider web; pictures shot through windows mixing with reflections and the like are great because they always ask questions. Well done.

  5. I love these! The first one most, the way the ripples in the water remind me of elephant hide (something you can no doubt relate to yourself).

  6. I love the way you describe them as mistakes or errors, as convention, or rules, dictates. And yet, you like them and so do I. Flukes can be so magical.

  7. Tish, you focused on some rule-breaking themes that are dear to me. By that, I mean I try to avoid breaking those rules. However, seeing your very good results, I’ll have to rethink some of my own rigidity.

    1. Thanks, Yvette. That web shot had me doing much pondering too. I still can’t work out quite work out what was being reflected and what wasn’t.

  8. Tish, your examples of broken rules show why its important not to throw away those “mistakes.” I spent some time studying the photo of the spider web and the reflection. It’s mesmerizing.

  9. How wonderful when you break the rules but end up with great shots, you’ve done well here Tish. I don’t think the twig is bad, it shows that there are other things there than just the house. Frames it maybe.

  10. How brave of you to post them anyway! Sometimes I get an interesting result — unintended result — but almost always it’s blurry because (ta da!) I moved. The steady hands of yesteryear have fled — and one of my eyes isn’t tracking. And somewhere in there lie cataracts awaiting being bad enough to get insurance to pay to remove them. The price to do it privately is really HIGH. Yours are much more interesting than mine every are.

    1. Thanks for those kind words, Marilyn. And yes, the unsteady hands problem. More recently I’ve more often found myself looking for something to prop the camera on.

      1. I’ve had a big beanbag as a movable place to lean your camera. I’m thinking of making one, but I need to wait until I can see better. Apparently if you get or make one the right size, you can stick it in your pocket and prop it on railing, rocks — basically anything — and it’s a safer camera support than using any old surface. I use something like it to take moon shots with a lens that was normally too slow, but when I wasn’t moving it, it got the shots. I just need to make one the right size. I really don’t like tripods. It’s a personal flaw, I know but those legs just get in my way and I hate haling them around. I can’t be the ONLY one who feels that way, can I?

        1. I have a very little tripod, pocket size, with bendy legs. But think your bean bag idea is definitely better. Can think of other uses too, should the need for a snooze threaten 🙂

          1. Not a half bad pillow AND a very secure footing for a camera, especially a heavy one. I’m always sure my cameras are going to fall off. Light tripods never seem sturdy enough — and ones that ARE sturdy enough are very expensive.

  11. You’re so right to highlight the fact that sometimes our mistakes produce unexpectedly successful results! The first shot definitely works despite all the rule breaking, and I also love that last one a lot 😀

  12. Great photos. shooting into the sun looks like a nuclear explosion. Glimpse of cyclist, swing and haunted (?) house, and kite are faves too. Excellent.

  13. Very interesting Tish – all well-worthy of saving! I especially liked the twig in the spooky scene, it adds to the effect. And of course the spider web closer – terrific!

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