Pool Rules – photo by Marc Blake, a photographer from Fresno
Nikon D200
Location: Mendota, California – The Cantaloupe Capital of the World

There are certainly some rules of photography that you just never want to break! One of them must be that you NEVER cut someone’s head off.

I’m all about breaking the rules on Thursday, January 7th of the year 2010. Well, to clarify, as long as it is nearly 4:00 AM on the west coast of the United States. When I start my day tomorrow, I’ll get back to playing by the rules.

So what is this all about? Sometimes, you need to cut off their head. Let’s take a look at why and then I’ll tell you the “real” reason I’m writing tonight’s article. [TEASE: It has to do with the DaVinci Code!]

When you don’t have a model release, you really don’t want to post a photograph of somebody that would be in any way whatsoever recognizable. It’s not legal and probably immoral at some level.

When you have a composition that is not going to create much of a challenge in the form of creating any intrigue you might need to think outside that proverbial box. Off with their heads!

This image was useless, until I cut off the head (and arms). Once I did it became a perfect composition. By breaking one rule, it fell into place and is perfectly aligned with a number of rules of art and composition.

The horizon in the background sets right at the 1/3 level as do the vertical elements – perfect for following the “rule of thirds” consideration for good composition.

The fence posts and chain links create an array that promote tremendous repetition of shape. Another superb compositional rule to follow.

The colors of the swim shorts match the pool sign words elegantly – perfectly following some of the rules of color coordination.

Plus, the fact that the swimmer is caught in mid-air creates excellent tension for this composition. Thus, we are following the rule of creating tension for our viewers. I’m pretty sure I just made that up… but let me remind you that I’m “not” following the rules tonight!

So let’s get to the real subject at hand. Let’s get down to some real art. I received a call yesterday from someone whose name I may not disclose. He called to share information about an exciting opportunity on which he was embarking. What he said was, “I’m leaving tomorrow for _ _ _ _ _ _ to look at the lost chalice by DaVinci.” That’s what he said. However, what I (wanted to) hear him say was, “how should I photograph the lost chalice created by Leonardo DaVinci?” So, I advised him on the lighting gear and set up to use and expect that he “will” follow my instructions to every letter of the rules of proper lighting when photographing one of the most rare pieces of historical art in the history of man. I’ll try to get copies of the photo to post in a future article.

So, tonight’s article is actually just so say, “How cool is that? My buddy is going to have a one on one with a rare work by one of my favorites.” Love what he did with Mona by the way.