a simple, yet thought-provoking post, if you ask me!The rules for capturing portraiture seems so wide that i sometimes get myself confused and so overwhelmed, just in the split of the second to think whether where should i cut of a person's limb, where should i place their eyes, should i include any part of their body to make the picture look more comfortable, etc......, only to let the magical moment fly away.
I would really appreciate if anyone could please teach me about the basic rules which is good to be followed in order to taking great portrait photos.
Thanks in advance
Which came first - the chicken, or the egg?
The rules make the picture, or the picture makes the rules?
'learning' photography is like learning how to walk for the first time, isn't it?
we may crawl in the beginning, but when you finally - at your own pace - learn how to start running, just trust gravity to be there for you. just like 'rules'.
consider this quote from Edward Weston (cut & paste one),
"..to consult the rules of composition before making a picture is a little like consulting the law of gravitation before going for a walk."
perhaps ask yourself what kind of portraiture you want to make and how you choose to say it. obviously some 'basic' rules which apply to some will be nonsensical and inapplicable to you.
the more we see, the more we learn, the better and more confident we will become at expressing ourselves photographically. it's ok to be 'confused' - take time to shift through what is useful to you and what's not.