Is This Too Far?

[bvjgcigh]

I guess I wouldn't be considered a newbie anymore, but I haven't been improving since (maybe even getting worse) and I haven't been upgrading any of my gear (I'm 15 so I have to stick with what I have). I've taken a couple pictures recently and realized that they were getting extremely generic and so I started to try to get more creative. I feel like I'm breaking too many rules. I need some opinions or maybe even some advice on if my pictures have broken too many rules to the point its no longer pleasing to the eye and how I can continue to grow without getting any new gear. Thanks!


These are my couple recent pictures:

 

[Designer]

So getting creative requires breaking rules? Let's look at "the rules" from a different perspective.

Those so-called rules are a shorthand method of teaching composition without the need to go into detail regarding art theory. I think most of us recognize when a composition "works" and the result is a very pleasing picture. When someone is hung up on "rules" he tends to forget other things which are possibly more important.

Furthermore, simply adhering to one or more rules will not guarantee success.

So here is some advice: Relax, look around, try to SEE a nice photograph, and THEN capture it as well as you can. Eventually your compositions will naturally fall into line with "the rules" without your having to give it a conscious thought.

 

[bvjgcigh]

Ok thanks for the response. I think that may kind of explain why I felt like I was getting worse- before I would be taking pictures in complete trail and error until something nice popped out. Now I actually take my time to compose but end up taking less picture that are not that great anyways. Another problem may be that I have switched to using my viewfinder more so I don't know how my pictures will turn out?

 

[SnappingShark]

The red one might look better cropped... idk

 

[Designer]

Is your view finder lying to you? Were you using "live view" before that? Just get used to how much you have to see in the viewfinder in order to get everything in the shot. Also, frame wide while shooting and crop later.

 

[bvjgcigh]

I think my viewfinder is accurate when it comes to composition, but not colors and exposure (I know that is normal). Unfortunately I can't crop too much later because my megapixel count is too low.

 

[bvjgcigh]

Ok I guess I'll make my composition instinctive and try to focus more on getting other things right.

 

[hamlet]

You can definitely buff that out in post.

 

[bvjgcigh]

You can definitely buff that out in post.

Which one?

 

[hamlet]

To me? None of them, i like what you did with the pictures visually. This would look pretty good blown up in a canvas, provided you clean them and sharpen them a bit more.

 

[astroNikon]

Check your photo on your LCD after taking the shot.
There's nothing against making multiple shots of the same one while tweaking something here or there to get what you see via your eyes and your mind.

 

[limr]

Well, I like those three that you posted.

 

[bvjgcigh]

Yeah I try to check my photos after taking them. The main reason, however, why I stopped using my camera's live view was because I wasn't able to see my tiny screen in the sun from all the glare. Another problem I have is with focusing- certain things seem in focus on the camera until I see it large on my computer (and yes I use autofocus now. Before, I used to use manual focus).

 

[Josh66]

Which "rules" are you breaking, and are these three photos an example of that?

I guess I just don't see anything that I would consider to be a departure from "the rules". I'm not saying that they're bad or anything - far from it. They are technically pretty good. I see no major fault in any of them. They don't really "wow" me, but at the same time there's nothing wrong with them that I can see. Just not my cup of tea, I guess.