Photography needs creative expression, and last week’s PhotoPlay prompt allowed for it. I presented the rule of thirds, gave possibilities on how to break it, and then left it wide open for your personal interpretation and application. And you came through.
I approached the prompt in this way because of something photographer Chris Orwig reminded me of in his book, Visual Poetry. He writes:
“The rule of thirds is based on an ancient mathematical concept referred to as the golden mean, golden ratio or divine proportion. It has been used for pyramids, skyscrapers and cars. It shows up everywhere: the human body, tree branches, flower petals and seashells. It is based on the ratio of Phi which mathematicians call the irrational number because it has no equivalent fraction and its decimal keeps going and never stops.”
“Do you catch the irony?” he asks. “The rule is based on something rationally irrational.”
Welcome the mystery
Photography is like this. Rules work but they also don’t. Mystery is always part of the mix and there is that untouchable element which even the best photographer cannot control. In fact, when reading biographies and articles by famous photographers, you realize that the more you progress, the more you welcome that “untouchable” mystery. These veterans have allowed it to become part of their work.
How do you invite this element into your own work? Naivety is one approach. Be astounded by what you see around you and you will capture the mystery. They say that “seeing as if for the first time” is one of the most important steps toward becoming and remaining a pro.
A rationally irrational example
Jennifer accomplished the rationally irrational in her image by breaking the rule and keeping it at the same time. The spike takes up one-third of the frame and forms the primary focus of the image. However, the hand in the background takes up two-thirds of the frame, yet only serves as a complement. It doesn’t distract or detract from the primary focus. I’m happy to feature her excellent example here:
Susan and Jessica decided to break the rule. Susan did so by placing her focal point in two-thirds of the frame while Jessica placed the focus in one-ninth of the frame:
Sandra decided to keep the rule for one of her images. The bird on the wire takes up one-third of the frame horizontally:
To enjoy the other PhotoPlay submissions, browse through the gallery below. Click on the thumbnail images to view the photographs in full size and with accurate dimensions.
See you in July for a prompt on family photography that will also feature the dials on your camera.
Darlene
Dave
Dawn
ELK
Emily
Janis and Tom
Jennifer
Jessica
Kath
L.L.
Monica
Nancy
Susan
Sandra
Claire
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For more photos by non-HCB photographers, visit Flickr’s Rule of the Thirds.
Post photo by Laura Boggess. All PhotoPlay photos used with permission. Post written by Claire Burge.
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Thank you to everyone who participated!
You sure know how to break and keep rules. Which is of course a very good thing, I think. : )
Dan, I am sorry that I did not get to yours. You have kept the rule very well in this one. Added to the rule you have created a “walkway” that leads the eye away from the lighthouse. This means the eye is held for a really long time. Excellent!
http://dudeseyeview.wordpress.com/2010/06/10/hillsboro-inlet-lighthouse-2/
Thanks Claire! It’s totally my own fault for not getting it to you on time…
I appreciate you adding the link here in the comment anyway, and REALLY appreciate the feedback!
And all of the photos here are amazing! Thanks for a great prompt!
Without being a photographer, Claire, I don’t know how I’d recreate something like Jennifer’s photo. I can see the end result, but I can’t see how she did it. Kudos to her.
I also like Darlene’s Queen Anne’s Lace (the full-sized image is more proportional and detailed) and Monica’s cherry. With Monica’s (again, full size), you see cherries at the top and the single one at the bottom. Is splitting the two-thirds like this breaking the rule or keeping it?
Darlene’s photos were very cool. At her original post, I was amazed at how the cropping of the photo made the Queen Anne’s Lace look entirely different!
http://aspiretoleadaquietlife.blogspot.com/2010/07/breaking-rules.html
Jennifer, maybe you want to share what you did?
I agree about Darlene’s one. It needs to be enlarged to fully appreciate it.
Splitting the two thirds means you are breaking the rule. What Monica did very well though was that she blurred the ones in the top, and kept the one cherry at the bottom in focus. Which in a way is very similar to what Jennifer did. The blurred cherries complemented the in focus one.
Laura, I am sorry that I had submitted everything already when yours came through as well.
http://lauraboggess.blogspot.com/2010/07/joy-in-moment.html
The two photos of the dog are really good. I like the following elements in them:
1. You got down low and took them from a straight on perspective. This is eye catching.
2. You chose two specific details in both photos: paws and nose. Because you singled these out, the photo has a lot of energy.
Thanks for playing!
And there is my Lucy Mae’s sweet face up there
It makes me smile. A nice surprise. Thank you for these artful posts, Claire. I am learning so much from you. You help me see better 
Claire, I’m stunned by this post. The images themselves are incredible, the layout at the end of the thumbnails with links to authors, also incredible. But most important, I love how you use the specific work of photography to share some universal truths about work in general:
“How do you invite this element [of irrational rationality] into your own work? Be astounded by what you see around you and you will capture the mystery. They say that ’seeing as if for the first time’ is one of the most important steps toward becoming and remaining a pro.”
Indeed. We all want to be professional, which means we each need the heart and wonder and openness of a child.
Since my work is photography, I incorporate this a lot. well, actually, I incorporate it simply by WORKING while I have small children. Irrational rationality. Hehe.
Excellent point here, Marcus. Imagine “seeing” at least one time every day at work. (I have a somewhat forgetful mind which means this happens to me rather often without effort: “New stapler! Wait, isn’t this mine? Maybe it is. Anyway, I really like it.”)
Seriously, I know this feeling of discovery and seeing anew, yet it’s easy to miss when I just “stay focused.”
This was fun miss Claire. Thanks for the prompt and the lessons. It is great to see all of the different submissions and interpretations.
Maybe move beyond the green box next month?! Uh-oh.
Blessings.
Claire, I am sorry I didn’t get to mine before this morning. I was hoping I’d beat it, but… Here it is, all woven with God in the Yard.
http://www.kellylangnersauer.com/blog/2010/07/23/playing-toward-god/
Kelly in all seriousness with a big smile on my face… why did you not submit this in time. I would have asked you to write the feedback post?!
You have summarised it perfectly in these lines for me:
“break the rules” isn’t so much a permission to violate something as it is an invitation to discover something.
You teach me over and again.
Marcus I am happy that you feel that way. I too was amazed as I read through each post this week.
There is so much growth in the group. I am learning and growing from everyone’s images that are submitted each month.
Maybe you can join us next time?
Darlene, don’t be scared… it’s going to be a really fun exercise! I can already see you laughing.
Claire, you’re going to have lay down the law on these latecomers. What great stuff!
Editor’s note: I apologize for the changes in post images here this morning. I think we’re all straightened out now.
Even though I don’t participate in these photo challenges as a photographer, I thoroughly enjoy seeing what people come up with. Hope you keep doing them!
Marilyn it is good to know that there are observers who are appreciating the creations. Thank you for being one of them.
I am firm believer that art is mostly about the observer.
It was fun to hop around the ’sphere this week and see some of the 2/3 or 1/3 photos you talked about. I thought about trying it myself, but was chicken, to be quite honest. In looking at some of the photos I’ve taken in the past, the image fills up the whole frame — I’ve been doing it wrong this whole time! But it’s good to know this rule — I think I will definitely keep it in mind when I break out the camera again.
I learn so much here…about words, about writing, about pictures, about faith, about life. Love it.
Michelle, you seriously should participate. Your photography is just lovely!
Thank you, Kelly — you are buoying my confidence! But seriously…I have a problem with centering…it’s the rigid in me! But now that I know this rule of thirds…and have seen the stellar examples here…I am going to think of this the next time I pick up the camera.
“I have a problem with centering”…hmmm. I don’t know why that little statement gives me pause. There is something about it that speaks deep.
I believe I have a problem “centering” too. Me too.
You’re right. There’s a lot of depth in that statement!
Doing it wrong? No way. Your photos make my jaw drop. I admire the beauty over at your place.
Oh, my goodness! You chose one of *my* photos? That does it! I’m going to get a bigger girl camera.
Claire,
Thank you for teaching us more about photography. I always learn something new through your PhotoPlays, and I am grateful for the opportunity to participate.
Jennifer’s nail in hand is powerful! Also love Laura’s dog. Each photo in the gallery has something special to say and contribute.
Looking forward to turning the dials on my camera–I think!
Blessings,
Janis
Such an opportunity to enjoy the work of others in the process of learning. Thank you for all the work that goes into this, Claire.
What fun! Gorgeous photos, all.
Claire, you asked about “the how” of the spike photo. And I had to laugh, because I’m such a rookie. You said in this post that “naivety is one approach.” Indeed, that would be my approach.
… But I’ll try to do my best to explain.
I took the photo after Easter. I wanted to focus specifically on the spike to fit with a post about keeping the spikes and the cross of Christ in mind all year long. So it was easy to know exactly WHAT to focus on. I probably snapped 40 shots of my daughter holding that spike — from various distances and zoom levels until I kept the spike in full focus, with the rest mostly out of focus.
But honestly, the photo still didn’t seem quite right — until this PhotoPlay exercise. The other day, I went through that folder of photos, and came across the spike photo. The spike was smack-dab in the center of the image. I trimmed it to apply the one-thirds rule. And then it worked!
I hope that description makes sense. It was terrifically fun to try, and then to see the beauty emerge — beauty that was there all along, only I just couldn’t fully see it.
Thanks for helping me “see” beauty. And thank you for your encouragement, Claire.
lots of mystery. the untouchable element is very interesting.
and
the layout of the post is wonderful. well done!
claire :: each image has such distinct character standing on its own as well as within the “rules” :: I thank you for the time and care you took with this post :: blessings ~ elk
What fun! Gorgeous photos, all.
Claire, you asked about “the how” of the spike photo. And I had to laugh, because I’m such a rookie. You said in this post that “naivety is one approach.” Indeed, that would be my approach. … But I’ll try to do my best to explain.
I took the photo after Easter. I wanted to focus specifically on the spike to fit with a post about keeping the spikes and the cross of Christ in mind all year long. So it was easy to know exactly WHAT to focus on. I probably snapped 40 shots of my daughter holding that spike — from various distances and zoom levels until I kept the spike in full focus, with the rest mostly out of focus.
But honestly, the photo still didn’t seem quite right — until this PhotoPlay exercise. The other day, I went through that folder of photos, and came across the spike photo. The spike was smack-dab in the center of the image. I trimmed it to apply the one-thirds rule. And then it worked!
I hope that description makes sense. It was terrifically fun to try, and then to see the beauty emerge — beauty that was there all along, only I just couldn’t fully see it.
Thanks for helping me “see” beauty. And thank you for your encouragement, Claire.
I learn in this place, with your art and your words….
Thank you. *Thank you*
All’s grace,
Ann
Michelle I am also stunned at you being too chicken… your photos are excellent! Please do join in next time. Your eyes see in ways that ours cannot and do not.
Elaine, Susan and Janis… the pleasure is mine. I enjoy every moment in your company when we do these posts,and of course in the interim weeks as well.
Michelle, Jessica… what about centering is difficult?
Jennifer thanks for sharing the “how to”… amazing how photographs can ressurect themselves that way ?