I recently enrolled in a corse in black and white photography. I am looking for examples of: 2/3's rule with the subject at a natural point of interest 2/3's rule with the subject taking up 2/3's of the picture vertical picture horizontal picture leading lines unusual angle pattern or texture crop 3 different pictures out of one picture vairous depths of field; shallow, great shape form (3-d and black and white) symmetry asymmetry dominance rhythm perspective

Does anyone know of a site with exaples of these type of pictures? Or some good examples of one of these?

-- Anonymous, February 09, 1997

Answers

I know of two photographs that are probably the strongest images ever produced anywhere by anyone. Neither of these images follow the rules of composition you are looking for. Check out Edward Weston's "Pepper No.30" and "Shell 1930". I think rules of composition stifle creativity. You are trying to follow what someone else says is the correct way to see photographically. We each see things in our own individual way. If you follow your own way of seeing not the way someone else wants you to see your photographs will reflect your own creativity. If you want to score points in a camera club or probably in a class room then you must follow their rules of composition and make photographs that are identical to what everyone else is making. But follow what you see in your own way and you may become a GREAT photographer. Dell

-- Anonymous, February 09, 1997

amen, Dell, take heart artistes, all you need to know about the rules of Black and White photography can be found in Kodak's Darkroom Data Guide, learn it then throw it away. Forget composition, If you don't have an natural "eye" for composition the chances of you learning through verbal constructs are slim. All of us are born with this balance in spatial relations, most of us lose it and very few can re-learn it. I suggest handing your camera over to your kids, let them shoot a roll, and then you go try to copy what they've shot and give up trying to find a photo shot with all this 2/3rds crap. I'm partial to the 1/3 and 3/3 rules of composition and get very irate when someone gets preachy with that 2/3 talk. Its its just unfair to the other rules.

-- Anonymous, December 17, 1998