Breaking the rules

More tips for top scenics by Mark Bauer and Ross Hoddinott

- Mark Bauer and Ross Hoddinott

If you slavishly follow the rules of composition, you will create work that is competent but unimaginative and predictable. However, it is not simply the case that ‘rules are made to be broken’. The rules have their uses. They can be used as a starting point – a way of looking at a subject that will enable you to get the best out of it. If you understand the rules and explore them while constructing an image, your composition is likely to improve – even if you end up with a picture that breaks every rule in the book.

Placing the horizon

According to the rules, the horizon line should be placed in the bottom or top third of the picture, depending on how much interest is present in the sky. However, there are plenty of situations in which you can consider other approaches. For example, if you are confronted by a scene that has little interest in the foreground or middle distance, and a particularly dramatic sky, placing the horizon at the bottom of the frame can work effectively.

This also has the effect of increasing a sense of emptiness and isolation, particularly in minimalist compositions. On the other hand, if the sky is clear and lacking in interest, placing the horizon right at the top of the frame – or excluding it altogether – is often the best option.

Placing the horizon in the centre of the frame is also a viable option in many situations, for example, when shooting a scene in which the sky is reflected in water. Placing the horizon in the centre of the frame can also enhance an atmosphere of calm and tranquillity, and, in the right lighting conditions, can be an effective treatment of the subject.