Weekly Competition #196 : Breaking "The Rules" Competition

Thanks for all the entries! The standard of entries has, as usual, been very high, and it has made judging my first weekly competition very difficult. I probably didn’t help matters by choosing a fairly obtuse subject. I was hoping to see a very varied set of entries, which I did. The big surprise to me was which pictures I liked, why I liked them, and what they made me think about photography. My judging and results reflect my own opinion and taste, in the context of the theme of the competition. I had a very hard time whittling it down to three podium places; several entries not on the podium could easily have been. Likewise, there are many images that I feel didn’t quite fit the theme, but were nonetheless fantastic photographs. I actually wanted to award joint winners, but this is obviously not practical in terms of setting and judging the next competition.

Mono Tulip: Cardiff Gareth
A lovely picture, and one that presents its’ subject in an unusual way: while I have seen mono pictures of flowers before, a colourful tulip stripped of its colour is to my mind quite an unusual way of presenting it. The mono brings out the texture of the petals beautifully, and the DOF concentrates the eye on the petals of the flower rather than the stamen. I have to wonder if you broke the rules as you already knew I liked this from Flickr However, this comp is all about breaking the rules….

Who's he texting over his Girlfriends shoulder? : S Marsden
Quite a clever picture, as not only does it break the rules of composition with the skewed window frame, but the man in the picture is also breaking a social “rule”. The background is a bit blown, but getting this type of opportunistic shot does not give one much time for the niceties of setting up the shot perfectly. A good capture.

Let there be light: Tozza27
Some “rules” are there to be broken; others are necessary, and not setting your camera up for a shot of a flower would seem to be a broken rule too far! Your picture is proof that some rules need to be followed! Apart from the over-exposure, the lack of detail in the flower, the strange blurred haziness below the stem of the background plant, and the very odd blue sky, I can’t find much to fault.

Becky Bathed in Sunlight: John Riley
The unusual lighting works very well here, and is, as you said, John, would normally be considered as “male” type lighting. The lighting, IMHO, does make the subject look a bit “butch”. I don’t mean that in any bad way at all. It works very well. I have never been a fan of touched-up glossy magazine-style portraiture, and this picture proves that you can get good results without recourse to lots of expensive lighting equipment. The angle works very well, too. It reminds me of a picture I once saw of KD Lang. I would perhaps like to have seen a bit more of her right eye, but it’s a very effective portrait. I would be surprised if it was not one of her favourites of the shoot.

Beaking The Rules...: VonBatCat
A very graphic image, with no tones at all between white and black. I do like it, but think an even tighter crop would improve it. I also think a slightly different angle, showing a thinner profile of the body, would bring more emphasis to the head and beak. However, as it was shot at 170mm, I appreciate this was probably not possible, unless the bird turned or moved.

St Mary's rainbow: geordie01
A nice picture; I really like the light on the lighthouse, and the rainbow, but apart from the story about the photographer, I fail to see where it breaks any “rules”. The horizon, and the lighthouse, both sit on thirds, and the line of rocks act as a leading line bringing ones eye towards the lighthouse. With a lower viewpoint, making one of the rocks bigger in the frame (foreground interest), this picture could actually be used to show how many “rules” you can use in composition at any one time. A lovely shot, though, apart from some noise around the rainbow and rain, but unfortunately I don’t think it fits the theme of the competition.

Spiral: Glover
An interesting angle indeed, though I feel it could do with a bit more contrast to bring out the texture of the steps a bit more. The overall darkness of the picture, and the overhead viewpoint, also fail to bring out the 3d aspect of the staircase IMO. The symmetry also bothers me, bearing in mind the theme of the comp. I would say it’s worth another visit.

Ships in the night: Dr Mhuni.
An interesting shot, with the lights in the background, the blur and light-trails of the departing tuktuk. The other tuktuk arriving, and the man with his shopping, tell a story. It definitely fits the theme of the competition. Overall, however, I find the picture is a bit dark, and I think it might have worked better with some movement on the arriving tuktuk too. I do like it though.

Subtle: Coker
A nice capture, but personally I don’t think it is very subtle as far as “rules” go: the picture is quite graphically delineated into thirds by the wires, and the bird is almost on a third too.

First class travel: David Trout
Very well captured, considering the speed of the train! The mono conversion, the silhouettes, and the grain work to make this an interesting shot. I could be pedantic and say it’s a bit symmetrical, but there is enough going on here to waive that concern.

Bubbles: Sandanista
Nice colour, and a very abstract image; if you had not told me what it was I would have assumed it was oil on water or something similar. Kudos too for taking it for the competition. It follows no particular “rules” at all, and so fits the brief of the comp. As an image, however, it does not really grab me, which is purely subjective; I can’t work out what it is about it that doesn’t particularly appeal! I am sure some others will really like it. In this way it reminds me somehow of a shot I once took that I didn’t like much, but which got into PPG (to date my only macro shot on there).

Why?: Frogherder
Another abstract image; I like the colour, the fractured feel to the picture, and the vague reflections. The focus and exposure are spot on, but this one, like Sandanista’s bubbles, does not really grab me. Perhaps it is too easily identifiable as a mosaic of broken bits of glass, and therefore not abstract enough.

Livvy: djMal1
A nice capture of a young girl enjoying her day as bridesmaid, but I think the angle is a bit extreme for this type of shot; I think it actually looks better turned 90 degrees to portrait format. I also find the cushions in the background a bit distracting. The backdrop of the blinds on their own, preferably out of focus, would work better. It is a shame she is not looking at the camera IMO: I think this would have worked better if she was.

In the middle of the road: Cher-cher
I like the sepia tone here, the path and the framing of the arches, but therein lies the problem for me in regards to the competition. It’s an evocative shot, but I would rather have seen a more unusual angle or viewpoint. The composition could be seen as clichéd, which is not saying anything bad about the picture. Clichés only become so because they work. Unfortunately, they also become rules.

White With Light: JudithAnn
What a beautiful picture! It’s very high-key, which is, from your description, perhaps more accidental than intended? It certainly works on this photograph. Whether accidental or not, I don’t see that the lighting is particularly unusual, as it’s a fairly wide-spread technique. It is also a very well composed shot, and as such doesn’t scream out to me that any rules have been broken.
However, it is an excellent photograph, and perhaps deserves more apt plaudits than winning a competition on breaking the rules. I am not surprised it got into PPG, it is a stunning portrait. I would not have been surprised to hear it went straight into the collection.

Tokyo in Heidelberg: AxelLuther
No, not too much HDR, Axel! Here it has been used to good effect, with the distortion and metallic theme lending a sci-fi feel to the picture. I like the technique of removing colours. The horses legs (which are on a third/!), look excellent, as does the pavement, but I am not so keen on the building on the right, and especially the blown-out highlights on it. I think if you could get up a step-ladder in the same spot and get more of the pavement and less of that building, this could be a far more effective picture.

Impressions Of Spring: Dr Orloff
This looks like an impressionist painting, which is I guess is part of the reason for the title. I love it. The upright lines of the trees and grass, with the pastel colours works perfectly with the blurring. Kudos too for taking this during the period of the comp. The composition and technique fit the theme of the competition very well. If I had taken this, it would end up large on a wall. IMHO it has the potential to be on many.

GDR Trabant: malcolm leader
An amusing shot, and one that breaks many rules, but unfortunately not any that improve the picture IMO/. The base of the structure and the sign are missing, the structure is too central and it looks like it is leaning back slightly. I also think this picture would have looked better taken from a few steps to the left, blocking out the building behind, which shows just enough to be distracting, and the bicycles. The exposure is very good. There is a white line on the right which I presume is a contrail, that could be cloned out. The photograph looks like a post-card, and could perhaps do well as one.

Here comes the bride...gunner
Another use of strong sunlight on a woman’s face, but this time I don’t think it is as flattering. The shadow on her face is too strong, and covers too much of her face. Candid shots at weddings are often better than posed ones, but I don’t think the light was right here. It might just be me, but I also keep seeing an optical illusion of a man’s profile in that shadow…

flying man: ArsenAl
A great angle to get the shot from, and this viewpoint certainly breaks the rules! The presence of clouds helps make the hurdler stand out. A very good action shot.

Inquisitive pony: stopher
The composition is bonkers, choice of lens ridiculous, and the subject is hilarious! Breaking the rules has made this picture. The DOF is perfect, which can be difficult to get exactly right when using this lens close up. Add to this the use of Topaz and it all adds up to a very effective picture. I really like it, and it has left me in a quandary, as you will see from the results…..

Rainbow:Bern
A nice rainbow effect from the reflection on the cd. There seems to be quite a lot of noise in the picture, probably because of the high ISO used. I am guessing this was hand-held. I think it would have been better to use a tripod and a lower ISO, as the noise spoils the picture in my opinion. I have also seen rather a lot of this type of shot on Flickr recently, so it probably does not have the impact it could were it more unique.

Pregnant Winter: oriweissman
It certainly breaks some rules as far as composition goes, but in this case I don’t think it works. It doesn’t look balanced, and this type of shot needs more even lighting IMO. The background, with the blown sky and trees, clash a bit with the pink curtain. The lighting and composition may have looked better with the pink curtain completely closed. The filmy stuff on her breasts also looks very odd?

Porto - Rua de Cedofeita: Francois_C
A nice street shot, which, like so much street photography, relies more on content than composition for its effect. I do like this picture, and it certainly breaks the rules as far as composition goes, but somehow it doesn’t quite work for me. I think it would have had more impact taken from a few steps to the right, so we could see more of the window. Also, If the lady on the left was looking either at the camera or the other woman, I think the picture would also have had more impact.

Survivors: DoctorJeff
A nice shot of a Lancaster and Spitfire, but a bit of prop blur would have been nice. I appreciate it was a grabbed shot, and as such, I quite like it. A shame there is not a bit more detail on the Lancaster. I’m not sure that this shot actually breaks any rules; photographing aircraft is all about getting the thing in the shot, and you’ve done this very well!

Nite Y Cruise: Dodge69
Well done for a 1/3rd sec exposure on a moving boat! I like the reflections on the water. The low viewpoint however means the bridge obscures the city skyline, which is a shame, as I think the city lights would make a better view than the lights of the bridge.

Misty Waters: Chris24
A lovely shot, the colour suits the subject very well, and the mist added in PP adds to the atmosphere of the shot. The picture however does not however appear to break any rules as such, with the boat almost on a third. I also find the boat on the far right a bit distracting, and personally would clone it out. A nice bit of work though.

Thames bridge at Maidenhead: Fotaki
The blown out highlights on the bridge, coupled with the paint effect, destroy what little detail there was in this shot to start with. I don’t think there is enough detail in the scene for this effect to work. The house and tree just look out of focus. The overall effect is that the picture was taken on a very low-res camera, which, along with the composition, breaks some rules. However, I don’t think it quite works.

Spring is in the air: Kosh
Some rules are not meant to be broken, and white balance on flower shots is perhaps one of them The picture has an overall purple tinge, and the out of focus red flower top left makes it look worse. The only part of the picture in focus is the tips of the stamens, which are tiny. I think focusing on the petals would have improved this shot, along with correcting the white balance.

Misty Mood: mudge
Yes, this photograph does break many rules, and it is quite dark, with an incredible amount of noise; normally this would perhaps spoil a picture, but here actually improves it, giving the scene a painterly feel. Looking beyond the comp, it may benefit by cropping it just below the reflections of the trees. You make a point it was hand-held, but at 1/125th sec, I don’t see that as anything unusual?

Tunnel Vision: tomw
The angle here, and the figures in the distance, make this a very striking shot. It works very well, and I think would look even better in mono, with more contrast on the walls; the pinkish-brown colour is a bit bland for this type of shot IMO. I think in mono this would have been a serious contender. I think cloning out the large stain top left would also improve the image.

Out of the Blue: MarkTaylor
You say you like this image, but didn’t think other people would. I think you are probably right! This is one of those images you either like or you don’t. Unfortunately, I fall into the second category. For me, the blue is just too strong. The subject is also too recognisable to appeal to me as an abstract, and too abstract to appeal to me as a picture of leaves.

Torcross sunrise: Roland1
A beautiful picture, the pattern of the waves on the beach, the beach itself, and the sky all combine to make a lovely shot. The sun in the centre works well because of the symmetry of the waves on the beach. The perfect symmetry does bother me a bit however in terms of the theme of the competition.

One Lazy Cat: johnhoppy
This one certainly breaks all the rules. For a start, it appears to have been posted sideways
I like the focus on the mouth, but unfortunately the largest area in focus is the cat’s shoulder, which pulls my eye away from the yawn. I think having more of the face in focus and less of the body would have worked better, or alternatively, using a much smaller aperture and having the whole cat in focus. I also find the turquoise cushion a bit distracting.

Mirar los girasoles: alexfilipov
A nice wacky candid shot, and the unusual crop works well. The highlights on the sunflowers are very burned out, but I think in mono there was never going to be much detail in them anyway. It’s a lovely image nonetheless, and does work well in mono: I am sure this will be a favourite in the family photo album. I would perhaps clone or crop out the light band at the top of the picture.


Well after a lot of consideration, I have chosen the podium places. It has been very hard choosing them, and on another day would perhaps be very different.

First Place; John Riley: Becky bathed in Sunlight
This shot was a definite podium place anyway, but I have put it in first place because, apart from being a great picture, it shows that some “rules” cannot just be broken but save you a lot of money: you don’t need lots of expensive flashes, strobes, reflectors, umbrellas etc to get good portrait photographs. The big free flash in the sky can give excellent results.

Second Place: Impressions Of Spring: Dr Orloff
A great abstract shot obtained by the creative use of camera shake. This would have been joint first place were that possible.

Third Place:
A joint award here, Mono Tulip: by Cardiff Gareth and Inquisitive pony by stopher

Special award for breaking the most rules:
Inquisitive pony by stopher. This could easily have been the winner, but in the end I edged more towards artistic interpretations of the theme.

Special award for an amazing photograph: White With Light: JudithAnn
I just had to mention this picture, as although I didn’t feel it fitted the theme, I was very impressed with this image.

Highly Commended:
Who's he texting over his Girlfriends shoulder? : S Marsden
Ships in the night: Dr Mhuni.
First class travel: David Trout
Bubbles: Sandanista
flying man: ArsenAl
Tunnel Vision: tomw

Well done Jon, excellent choice of subject and well considered choice of awards. Congratulations to John Riley, Dr Orloff and Gareth and thanks for my highly commended.
There were some fascinating entries but I struggled to work out which rules had been broken with some of them.

Well done to all! Great detailed judging and a Great selection of "breaking the Rules" images. Great comp theme!

Many thanks for that, and a nice surprise after a leisurely lie in this morning....day off today....I agree that in some cases working out which rules had been broken was a tough call. It's not easy to break the rules effectively, any more than it is to play a piano with the wrong notes in the way that some musicians can.

Nice detailed judging as well. I shall have to work hard to keep up that standard!

A new competition will be posted very soon, just as soon as the idea I have ferments in my relaxed brain this morning.

Very well done to Mr Riley, Adrian and Gareth and Stopher for joint thirds. I've really enjoyed reading your judging Jon and must say I am well chuffed to recieve a commendation among such a high standard of entries. Great competition well done everyone.

I'm wondering if PPG is worth a punt after your remarks Jon

Many thanks for the considered judging AG and the choice of topic, which I thought was excellent. Congrats to John, Doc & Gareth; and thanks for the HC.

Well done John, and everyone else
Also a good set of summaries by AG

Interesting comp. Well done JR et al. Excellent judging and thanks for the coveted second.

Cripes - after that critique I scrolled quickly down to get my accolade and ..................................mmmmm! ok ....it was a little OTT but that was the way I saw it and I appreciate the comments.
Very very well done JR and great work all the others mentioned or otherwise.

Some serious challenges to the judge and excellent judging was produced - many thanks.

Tony

Wow...many thanks for my placing AND special award! Very pleased you liked it!...Congrats to John and all the other placings, HC's etc. Was a great subject and thoroughly enjoyed it!

Congratulations John...for breaking the rules and winning.

Thank you so much for the special award. It is interesting to me how I nearly scrapped this photo because of what I felt was too much light....yet the little ones expression was just too delightful. Now here is that photo, being praised and very liked!!

Live and learn....JA

Congratulation John and the all the others on the podium and in the awards lounge . Great idea AG and very interesting judging. Funny - I deliberatly lowered my tripod to the minimum hight to catch this picture in as much frog perspective as possible (so even without a ladder, I could easily have taking it 170 cm higher).... Intersting to see that different photographers have so different preferences, this makes the whole topic of photography so intersting and exciting....