Our host this week is Ritva from Ritva Sillanmäki Photography, and she has set the challenge to BREAK THE RULES. I know exactly what she means and there are many “rules” in photography, but I have always thought of them as more guides. They do make sense most of the time and do make better images, but yet sometimes they don’t and you do have to break them.
Now you may wonder how my photos break the rules, well they don’t break the rules of photography really, but they do break the rules, as in taking photos where you shouldn’t or perhaps breaking the law to get the shots. I hope it counts as I know I have lots of photos that break the rules of photography as Ritva intended, but I have no idea where they are and I don’t really want to spend hours and hours going through photos to find them.
I have put together some photos, and I will explain with each one how I broke the rules to get them.
The first two I have are of Craig’s Hut and it is a fairly famous hut for people to use up in the mountains. Though an interesting fact, you aren’t allowed to stay there overnight. There are rules about being there, and camping is not allowed.
Well, we stayed overnight. We waited until everyone had left, and then we got out our tents and set them up. We were there with a couple of other people as well who had campervan type things. We had a lot of fun.
This shot was taken at sunset.
This next one was taken at sunrise, just as the sun was coming up. You couldn’t get a photo like that unless you slept over.
This next one was a dangerous one and meant climbing over a fence and going down a very steep cliff to take the photo. There are signs saying you can’t do it, but sometimes you have to break the rules to get the photo.
I suspect they don’t want people doing it because Search and Rescue have had to get some people out of there. I do think the image was worth it, though. The header image shows you what it looks like from the path.
I had seen photos of the following house, and a friend and I decided to find it. The house has been abandoned for about 100 years, and it is abandoned because when we aren’t in drought it is underwater and part of a dam.
It was on private property, and we had to jump over a couple of fences to get to it. We were very careful and tried not to bring attention to ourselves. In post, I removed all the trespassing signs. It was worth it to get these images.
It is one of those places that we would never tell anyone where it was because it was on private property. If people find it and got there that is on them.
This was one of those places where there is a walkway for you to go and look at, but trying to get good photos is hard. The best thing to do is to jump over the barriers and walk carefully on the cliffs to take your photos. You have to hope that nothing collapses and you don’t fall.
This next one was taken along the Great Ocean Road. Such a great spot for photos.
You walk out onto a cropping or cliff, I don’t know what you call it, but you can get a really good all round view. There is a viewing platform which is great if you want to look out, but not so great if you want to look down, so I jumped the fence again and got as close to edge as I dared.
I don’t think you would be able to get the following image if you didn’t break the rules, because from the viewing platform you can’t see all this.
This next one is from Loch Ard Gorge and again I jumped the fence to get this image.
I don’t recommend breaking the rules like this and I wouldn’t suggest you follow my example. As I said I try not to do this because I think in the end it can destroy opportunities for photographers and others. I am sure part of the reason they are building a new viewing platform at the 12 Apostles is because too many people were jumping over the fence to get some interesting shots and then they get stuck.
No image is worth losing your life over.
Here is a gallery of the above images.
I want to thank Ritva for being out host this week and hope you will all go and see her post on breaking the rules. I’m sure she has done it better than me.
If you would like to participate in this great challenge then go to the following link to find out how to join the Lens-Artists Challenge, click here for more info. Don’t forget to put a link in your post back to the host.
Awesome shots! I’m too much of a klutz. I try to stay safe.
Yeah, you do have to be careful, thank you Sharon.
Love your take on the challenge. I am a rule follower. Your willingness to get the best shot by breaking the rules is impressive! The images show that you were well rewarded!
I usually am as well Sheila, can I say I was lead astray by my companions? LOL. It is worth doing when you get a great image though. Thank you so much.
Welllll. Great great photos. I like ’em all. Glad you’re still with us, after all that fence jumping and cliff hanging. Many others are not. 😱
Thank you John, yeah, I’m glad too. I didn’t do any cliff hanging, I would definitely have fallen then, lol. Exactly.
I like this approach to the challenge: taking breaking rules into the real world
Yeah, something different, thank you IJ.
Leanne, your photos in this blog are excellent. Another point to sometimes getting a great shot is a bit of research and preparation. You did your homework with these 🙂
Thank you Steve, oh yes, I do research beforehand, though it isn’t always easy to be able to tell what you will get. First time anywhere I usually call a scouting trip.
Fantastic shots Leanne and I can easily see why you felt you wanted to break the rules to capture them 🙂 I’m not sure I would be so brave (and I’m useless at climbing fences!) but I’m glad you did and that you shared them with us. A great alternative take on the theme!
Thank you Sarah, I don’t know that I would do it if I was on my own. I’m not great at climbing fences, they have to be easy to get over. lol. I thought this might be fun.
Glad you weren’t caught breaking the law. Your breaking the rules brought about amazing shots so it is all worth it… I guess!
Me too Teresa. Thank you, I think so too.
Brave or daft? But whatever you got some brilliant images!
Maybe a bit of both, lol. Thank you Sue.
Excellent wow fantastic 😍
Thank you.
You are welcome 🤩🤩
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I am glad you broke the rules Leanne
Me too Brian, thanks.
All absolutely stunning photography. Yes, breaking the rules, but still great photographs.
Thank you Danice.
Gorgeous shots Leanne. We love our visit to the 12 Apostles. No fence jumping, but there was a snake alert. Have a great Monday. Allan
Thank you Allan, it is an incredible place there, and I haven’t jumped any fences there, too many people around to do it. Oh yes, I had that happen once when I was there too, snakes, they are everywhere. You have a great one too Allan.
Beautiful
Thanks Beth.
Leanne, I didn’t know you are such an outlaw! All’s fair for the photo. >grin<
Great examples and confessions, for sure. You are correct, there are no images worth losing your life for.
Hahaha, I’m not really, usually only happens with I’m with others.
Thank you John, absolutely not.
The images are spectacular, Leanne. Each one is full of drama. Thanks for your explanations on how you broke the rules. I don’t think I’d have tried climbing over those fences, though.
Thank you Egidio, glad you like them. Yeah, I usually only do it when I am with others, we look out for each other.
Yes, I see them as guides too, Leanne. And that makes me think what came first, photography or the “rules”? Anyway, I had a notion of taking the challenge in this direction too, but I haven’t done anything remotely like this. Your photos are so amazing. As is your final warning.
I don’t know, I suspect the rules were around first because of paintings which I think follow the same sort of rules. I thought this direction would be fun, thank you so much Sofia.
Awesome images, Leanne! And I’m so glad you didn’t get hurt or arrested! But glad you got them.
I’m glad too Joanne, thank you.
I’m glad you stayed safe while you took some chances to get these amazing images!
Absolutely, safety is always the rule really. Thank you Beth.
Interesting – you broke the societal rules, rather than the rules of photography. At the bottom of your post, there is a section that links to more of your posts, called “You might be interested in”. And the first photo displayed there is of the Flatiron Building in New York, posted 24/7/2019. There’s a photographic rule that says “avoid centering the focal point”. But your photo is centered, and it is extremely effective, because it essentially divides the image into three parts, dark, then the light building, then dark again. It emphasises the unique shape of the building, and the sense of standing at its foot gazing upward. I like it!
I probably do break the rules of photography a lot, I tend to experiment with composition when I can. Yeah, the Flatiron is right in the middle, but I think it needed to be for that image. I’m glad you like it Sam, thank you.
Great photos Leanne! We photographers are sometimes willing to not obey signs for a great picture, but we are careful to not damage property while we are doing it. I’ve done it many times. Out here, this comes up when we enter a sunflower field. Again, beautiful photos, I especially liked Craig’s Hut.
Thank you Anne, yeah, I think we are. Absolutely, leave as if you were never there.
I love this, Leanne! You definitely broke the rules–how cool is that?!
Yeah, lucky I didn’t get caught, lol, thank you Lois.
I have few times broken the rules, by going to places you are not supposed to be, but not so much lately. I can see why you have done so. Lovely photos, I did not expect anything else from you
I’m a bit the same, I don’t know that I would do it too much now. Thank you Ritva, and thanks for being our host.
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Oh I see! It was Personal Safety you disregarded, not the Rule of Three or whatever. I thought they were pretty damn’ good photos!
Yeah, something like that Margaret, lol. Thank you Margaret, worth breaking the rules for.
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