What great masters?

12.109.186.150

You mean painters? Yeah, that's real applicable to photographs. Look very carefully at DaVinci's "Last Supper" some time. How many vanishing points does it have? How do you do THAT with a photograph where the vanishing point is geometrically generated from the optical center of the lens? Oh, and check out the distorted perspective. How do you do that with a photograph.

See that's the problem. These western rules of composition were developed over a period of time by painters who used all sorts of compositional "tricks" (forced perspective, multiple perspectives, multiple vanishing points, etc.) to generate the final image. Photography (as a single exposure image) doesn't have all that latitude to force a composition to work. So while your admiring the "triangular compositions" within the "Last Supper" that "make it work," you're missing the other more subtle compositional elements used within the image that reinforce the main compositional rule elements that you can identify.

Then if you study something like Chinese art history, you'll find out that their "rules of composition" are totally different than western (European) rules of composition. So, now just which rules are we to follow?

"The more you become familar with the cpompositional guides (not rules, ok) handed down from the Great Masters of the past through out Art history. The more successful your creation becomes. This may ensure your hard work, will be admired by more viewers."

Oh, give me a break. You don't really believe that do you? You mean, let's make rule bound photos because that's what the majority of people can relate to? Wow, that sounds like a lot of fun and a sure-fire road to interesting photos.

Sorry, can't buy into that one. There are only two types of photographs: the interesting kind and the boring kind. Slavish adherance to rules WON'T move a boring photo in the interesting category just because it follows a rule of composition. It will still be a boring photo composed according to a rule of composition.

Also, don't have the faintest idead what your attempted "children / adult" metaphor has to do with photographs.

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - Problems Incountered With My New Olympus 80-80 Wide Angle: - Vinylly 19:34:53 05/03/04 (32)

Re: Problems Incountered With My New Olympus 80-80 Wide Angle: - Impoverished Audiophile 10:31:10 05/04/04 (30)

Re: Problems Incountered With My New Olympus 80-80 Wide Angle: - Bold Eagle 19:35:39 05/21/04 (0)

no prob - abon 07:40:16 05/06/04 (26)

Are you showing this pic, as a good example of what....... - Joe M 05:28:42 05/18/04 (24)

shutter lag - abon 10:26:47 05/18/04 (23)

Do you always shoot DEAD CENTER like a bullseye target- BAD composition - Joe M 14:00:23 05/18/04 (22)

Re: Do you always shoot DEAD CENTER like a bullseye target- BAD composition - Starlette 00:19:18 05/22/04 (3)

BAD Speller- OK it is ANALYZE and VEGETARIAN....vinylly please use your real moniker - Joe M 05:06:41 05/22/04 (2)

Shall move on to your poor grammar? - Starlette 10:07:15 05/22/04 (1)

Re: I Don't Know About The Trigger Finger After Two Drinks: - Vinylly 20:16:52 05/29/04 (0)

What a joke - Practical Pete 12:00:14 05/20/04 (8)

good point - abon 03:35:31 05/21/04 (5)

Re: good point- I'll grant you that , a photo works or it doesn't. You have to know the rules inwhich to break...... - Joe M 05:44:30 05/21/04 (4)

What great masters? - Practical Pete 07:18:49 05/21/04 (3)

Well ya know what they say about opinions........ - Joe M 21:04:39 05/21/04 (2)

Figures - Practical Pete 07:49:09 05/24/04 (0)

You know what they say about mops... - Starlette 00:12:59 05/22/04 (0)

They're handed down from Pro- to- Pro - Joe M 20:09:02 05/20/04 (1)

Uh huh.... - Practical Pete 07:42:18 05/21/04 (0)

Re: Gee! I Love Your Adjutants: - Vinylly 08:42:32 05/19/04 (1)

Yes they are Maribou Cranes - Joe M 13:35:48 05/19/04 (0)

Re: Do you always shoot DEAD CENTER like a bullseye target- BAD composition - abon 15:45:53 05/18/04 (6)

That was not photoshoped Velvia and numerous awards and money- I shoot real Zeiss on my 'Blad doing pro nature shots - Joe M 16:02:03 05/18/04 (5)

Impressive, where do you work? - abon 17:56:05 05/18/04 (4)

In furthering or to help foster a new dialog here- Welcome - Joe M 05:54:49 05/19/04 (3)

Re: In furthering or to help foster a new dialog here- Welcome - abons 07:48:23 05/19/04 (2)

Thanx....... I enjoy teaching if asked to or not :^) - Joe M 08:28:22 05/19/04 (1)

Your welcome - abon 07:56:57 05/24/04 (0)

and.... - abon 07:49:43 05/06/04 (0)

Re: That Seems To Be The Problem: - Vinylly 16:16:53 05/04/04 (1)

Yep... - Ding-Dang 06:57:41 05/05/04 (0)

Well, we tried to tell you. these are amateur cameras for amateur's use, you're an intermediate to pro shooter thus you - Joe M 20:58:52 05/03/04 (0)

Follow Ups

What great masters? - Practical Pete 07:18:49 05/21/04 (3)

Well ya know what they say about opinions........ - Joe M 21:04:39 05/21/04 (2)

Figures - Practical Pete 07:49:09 05/24/04 (0)

You know what they say about mops... - Starlette 00:12:59 05/22/04 (0)

What great masters?

12.109.186.150

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