Photography Rules

Both framing and leading lines are composition elements common to things from architecture, painting, and photography. Framing is simply using some visual element to offset or frame the subject of your pic, and leading lines uses some visual element to draw your eye to the subject. Do a google search on composition framing leading lines and there is a lot out there. Here is a link that describes leading lines nicely and the other one framing.
http://www.dolcepics.c​om …omposition-leading-lines/
http://digital-photography-school.com …hy-composition-technique/

Hello John,

Firstly tahnk you very much for answering my post and helping me with the information that I ask for.

I have read about lines and did search for leading lines as per your instructions. I will compose few images in the next few days using this Tech and post them here as well.

If there is anything else that you want to suggest. I will try them as well.
I remember a thread where we had a POTN member who used to give Photography Assignments where newbies try to make images only pertaining to that guiidelines.

Eg:- Lines, Unusual shapes etc.

Principles and elements of design. They provide a model of thinking about pictures. You learn what makes a pictures moody, cold, warm... where the eye will go to.

This is a couple of videos to start off a person:
http://www.youtube.com …in+Painting&sea​rch=Search

I'd very much agree that they're guidelines rather than rules - basically things to follow if you're not sure what to do. Or 'how do you do it unless you have a reason to do otherwise.' Interesting about the Sunny 16 thing, I'd never heard of that until now, and I've never shot at F/16 in my life.

AdamC wrote in post #5763091
I'd very much agree that they're guidelines rather than rules - basically things to follow if you're not sure what to do. Or 'how do you do it unless you have a reason to do otherwise.' Interesting about the Sunny 16 thing, I'd never heard of that until now, and I've never shot at F/16 in my life.

One does not have to use f/16 when using the "Sunny 16" method of calculating exposure. You can change any two or all three of the three exposure control elements (ISO, aperture, and shutter speed) and keep the same exposure level. The "Sunny 16" formula merely gives you a starting point that is easy to remember.

The Sunny-16 rule has absoulely nothing to do with shooting at f/16. The rule is this:

For a frontlit subject on a bright sunny day, proper exposure is approximately f/16 at a shutter speed equivalent to the reciprocal of the ISO.

So, for an ISO of 100, the shutter speed would be approximately 1/100s; for an ISO of 200, 1/200s; etc. This sets up the following "proper" exposures.

........ISO 100...ISO 200...ISO 400...ISO 800...ISO 1600
f/2...@ 1/6400s
f/2.8 @ 1/3200s...1/6400s
f/4...@ 1/1600s...1/3200s...1/6400s
f/5.6 @ 1/800s....1/1600s...1/3200s...1/6400s
f/8...@ 1/400s....1/800s....1/1600s...1/3200s...1/6400s
f/11..@ 1/200s....1/400s....1/800s....1/1600s...1/3200s
f/16..@ 1/100s....1/200s....1/400s....1/800s....1/1600s
f/22..@ 1/50s.....1/100s....1/200s....1/400s....1/800s
f/32..@ 1/25s.....1/50s.....1/100s....1/200s....1/400s
f/45..@ 1/12.5s...1/25s.....1/50s.....1/100s....1/200s

Bear in mind that this is for a front-lit subject. For a side-lit subject decrease exposure by one stop, and for a back-lit subject decrease exposure by two stops.

The sunny-16 rule can be used in other lighting ituations as well with the following guidelines:

SUNNY means a bright sunny day with sharp shadows.
BRIGHT: bright sunny day on sand or snow increase exposure by one stop.
HAZY: sun through haze or thin high clouds with distinct but soft shadows, decrease by one stop.
CLOUDY: bright coudy day with very soft shadows, decrease by two stops.
OVERCAST: overcast day with no shadows, or open shade on sunny day, decrease by three stops.
HEAVY: heavily overcast day, decrease by four stops.
DEEP: deep shade or deep woods on sunny day, decrease by five stops.
STORM: just before heavy storm or deep woods on overcast day, decrease by six stops.
OFFICE: brightly lit office or store interior, decrease by seven stops.
STAGE: well-lit stage or sports arena, decrease exposure by eight stops.
HOME: well-lit home, decrease by nine stops.
SOFT: softly lit home, decrease by ten stops.

Have fun, folks.

The Rule of Thirds, simply put, says that if you place the subject of interest at a point one/third of the way into the image, the image will usually be more pleasing to the viewer than if the subject of interest is centered in the image.

Note that the key word here is "usually." There are many, many beautiful images that completely ignore the Rule of Thirds. The trick is to know when to ignore the rule.

The reason the Rule of Thirds works has to do with esthetics. Why does the Parthenon look so beautiful, even as a ruin, when so many neo-classic bank buildings do not? Because the proportions of the Parthenon are those of the Golden Section. The height of the Parthenon's rectangular face has a ratio to its width that is the same as the ratio of the width to the sum of the width and height together. This is very nearly a ratio of 0.618:1.

All other things being equal, if the distance from the center of the point of interest in an image to the edge of the image relative to the size of the image has a ratio of 0.618:1 in either the vertical or horizontal directions, the image is pleasing to the eye. If this ratio is achieved in both the vertical and horizontal direction, the image is more pleasing still. If the image itself has a ratio of 0.618:1 horizontally and vertically, then the image is yet more pleasing.

The rule of thirds divides an image vertically and horizontally into nearly proper proportions. This make Rule-of-Third images inherently pleasing to the eye.

The standard 2:3 proportion of a conventional 35mm image is also very nearly correct (the actual proportion would be approximately 1.85:3). This makes 35mm images, and digital images having the same ratio, inherently pleasing to the eye.

WHY the Golden Section is more pleasing than other ratios is unknown. This is a question for philosophers, not photographers.

20droger wrote in post #5765369
...WHY the Golden Section is more pleasing than other ratios is unknown. This is a question for philosophers, not photographers.

I believe the accepted theory of "Why" has to do with the fact that the human body is designed amazingly according to the golden section. We just have a tendency to think things that have our proportions are attractive.

Phil Light wrote in post #5765384
...the human body is designed amazingly according to the golden section. We just have a tendency to think things that have our proportions are attractive.

And so is just about everything else on this planet.

It's just one of the universe's magic numbers, like pi.

Phil Light wrote in post #5765384
I believe the accepted theory of "Why" has to do with the fact that the human body is designed amazingly according to the golden section. We just have a tendency to think things that have our proportions are attractive.

That's one theory. And If certain points are stretched, it sort of fits.

But others say the points must be stretched a bit too much.

Yes, but if you stretch the point so that it reaches 61.8% of the way there, it's a very attractive point indeed...

64% of statistics can be made to support any given view 95% of the time.

Or, figures don't lie, but liars can sure figure! And I'm 82% certain of that.

20droger wrote in post #5765754
It's just one of the universe's magic numbers, like pi.

Fibonacci numbers in case of Golden Ratio, IIRC..

20droger wrote in post #5765754
It's just one of the universe's magic numbers, like pi.

Mmmm Pi.

Oh sorry, mind got off track there. Now I'm hungry.