The Rules of Photography and When to Break Them

by Haje Jan Kamps

One of the most popular cameras on the market is called the "Digital Rebel," yet many photographers use it and its brethren following tired old rules from tired old photographers. This book aims to show new and intermediate photographers that they can move beyond the dogma and shoot more creatively. If you're just starting out with a camera, or are starting to think about switching away from "auto," this is the perfect book for you. Not only will you find within all the classical "rules"-useful basic knowledge that can sharpen anyone's eye for great photography-but you'll simultaneously be shown how you can push the boundaries that many teachers erroneously set, filling your memory card with exciting, different pictures every time. This book brings the aspirational photography seen by so many in books or on Flickr within reach of everyone.

Genres: Photography, Nonfiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book for digital camera owners who are looking to go "beyond the basics" and really learn what makes a great image. Once you have a handle on those concepts the book outlines when you can break the rules creatively to create even more stunning images - like the pros! Easy to read with great photos to help illustrate each concept, this book is a must read for budding photographers of all ages and skill levels.

[Prima Seadiva · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
One of the fundamentals taught in art school (oh, so many years ago) was learn the rules first and then break the hell out of them in your work. Or follow them if it produces a better result.
Do it knowing what you do instead of as an unwitting dolt. That has not been bad advice for my life view in general.

This book does a decent job of going over photography basics and giving examples of both rule following and breaking.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a beginner to the mechanics of photography, or just wanted a refresher course, this is a very good book, albeit one set at the experienced novice level. Many of other photography how-to books seem padded with arcane technical detail and added lists of every lightbox, lens and filter used. To the author Kamps' credit, this is not one of those books. Concise and varied book, beautifully illustrated (Stars: 3.9-4.3/5.o stars).

[CookieCrumb · Rating 2 out of 5]

While it's nice and helpful to learn about the 'rules of photography' the book mostly breaks down to 'here is a rule, follow it unless you don't want to.'
It's worth a read but I'm not sure it's worth the price.

[Maggies Daisy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a ver useful book that was able to teach me what some of the settings on my camera mean and also how to adjust them for better photo taking. Like the title implies, there are rules to follow that must be learned so you can break them in an effective manner.

[Luv · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like Haje Jan Kamps books on photography. They are easy to read and offer much advise for novice photographer.

[Peter Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly basic stuff, aimed at those moving on from point and shoot. No technical data for any of the photos and some of the examples IMHO are not that strong.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

(1) Aperture, time, and sensitivity. (2) Composition.
Done, well.