In today's contest, we are going to think outside the box. Photography, or any art form, remains a subjective discipline.

As Pablo Picasso once said:

Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.

In this context, the quote means that, in order to be different from the majority of photographers, in order to create your own unique style, you need to first thoroughly understand the rules that govern the art of photography. Only by knowing the rules, you can effectively break them and take creative shots that nobody else thought of.

But what rules are we talking about here? There are dozens. Don't cut off limbs, the rule of thirds, symmetry, the rule of odds, making sure the frame is filled and you have the subject focused, having negative space, ... And many more.

Put your thinking hat on and get creative! Ignore the rules, do what you consider to be optimal!

Good luck!

Suggested by Olga-Leskiw-Suzuki

Olga.L avatarLevel 17Gold award
1 out of 25
77%

Rule of Visual Space created by Olga.L

The rule is to always have good visual space in front of the direction that the subject is moving. The rule has been broken with this composition.

14 reactions
Olga.L avatarLevel 17Silver award
Wayne-Cheah avatarLevel 12Heart award
3 out of 25
75%

Unspecified specimen created by Wayne-Cheah

10 reactions
Vibeke avatarLevel 12Bronze award
4 out of 25
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Avoid distracting backgrounds. created by Vibeke

9 reactions
grasshopper1 avatarLevel 11Hug award
5 out of 25
71%

Jumanji created by grasshopper1

Breaking: s ‘leading’, ‘nose room’ or ‘leading space’. The lead room principle means that when framing a subject, a well-composed image will have a negative space in the direction that the subject is facing. oops :)

6 reactions
Olga.L avatarLevel 17Hug award
6 out of 25
71%

Avoid Direct Downward Harsh Lighting created by Olga.L

🤪 to that rule!

1 reaction
Olga.L avatarLevel 17
Olga.L avatarLevel 17
8 out of 25
69%

Never AMPUTATE the head created by Olga.L

Zizounai avatarLevel 16
9 out of 25
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Cycling away created by Zizounai

Sorry I cut the boy's forehead, his shoe, his arms, Sorry you can only see a part of a handlebar and guess this is a bike, Sorry you can't see where he is going to, nor where he comes from... Sorry the background is all topsy-turvy, hope it doesn't make you sea sick.

2 reactions
Zizounai avatarLevel 16
10 out of 25
67%

Sunday walk created by Zizounai

4 reactions
Zizounai avatarLevel 16
11 out of 25
67%

Tommy can you see me? created by Zizounai

#1 Never place the horizon line in the middle #2 When you have an horizon line keep it horizontal #3 Never shoot a black cat around noon #4 Overexposed windows are ugly

2 reactions
grasshopper1 avatarLevel 11
12 out of 25
67%

Beautiful Sunrise created by grasshopper1

Rules broken: Main light light source in the rear. Fence is along center line. Subject in the center. Subject head turned. I was trying to show that the sunrise, at that moment, was so stunning that the bird turn around to watch it.:)

3 reactions
photonut avatarLevel 12
13 out of 25
65%

Dragon Racing created by photonut

Taken at a dragon racing event a couple of years ago[did not happen last year] and probarly not this year,this is not allowing space in front for something to go into[not the best description] not the best at that,did take loads more photos though where i did have more space in front.

1 reaction
filantrop avatarLevel 8
14 out of 25
64%

Reflection. created by filantrop

2 reactions
Merlin avatarLevel 16
15 out of 25
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Never face the sun! created by Merlin

2 reactions
photonut avatarLevel 12
16 out of 25
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Help,anybody seen my hands created by photonut

Taken at a street event,one i took quick,though do have ones with all of him in.

4 reactions
Zizounai avatarLevel 16
17 out of 25
62%

Springtime countryside created by Zizounai

2 reactions
Diamite avatarLevel 9
18 out of 25
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Age gone by created by Diamite

Your eye naturally wants to go to back ground, but the train curves around, highling both bridges going in different directions . Not so happy with arm of a passenger in what looks like a shell suit jacket, from the 80s lol

3 reactions
photonut avatarLevel 12
19 out of 25
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Just Like That created by photonut

Taken at a street festival and although i do have other photos of this lady in full and much better,this one reminded me of the late great tommy cooper[look him up] and one of his sayings was JUST LIKE THAT.

4 reactions
Wayne-Cheah avatarLevel 12
20 out of 25
60%

Unspecified specimen created by Wayne-Cheah

2 reactions
Vibeke avatarLevel 12
21 out of 25
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Don't shoot into the sun. created by Vibeke

Marleen avatarLevel 12
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The wild sea or the sky? created by Marleen

Sometimes breaking the rules leads to compelling results.

photonut avatarLevel 12
23 out of 25
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Powerboat created by photonut

2 reactions
Marleen avatarLevel 12
24 out of 25
56%

Holiday photo that disturbed the peace in my head created by Marleen

Normally you get a certain peace of mind when you look at the pictures again, but with this chaos you get a certain stress, nothing is correct here: no specific object, no account of the sun, no line, no center ...

2 reactions
MyMindsEye avatarLevel 12
25 out of 25
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Every Rule in the Book created by MyMindsEye

1 reaction

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