to try to adhere to the rules and tips in this chapter, at least for a while. In this way, you will learn to understand the benefits of each rule, why it exists, and how it helps you take better photos. After that, when you start getting the hang of portrait photography, you’ll probably want to start breaking the rules. We’re photographers, not tax inspectors. As photographers, we are rebels, outcasts, and rule breakers, the whole gang of us! Do keep in mind how to take the very best photos: by knowing what the “rules” are and then making a conscious decision to break them to achieve a particular effect and personal style. Even if you are acting on your photographic instincts, it helps to be able to defend your choices. Why were you shooting at ISO 400 instead of ISO 200? Why did you decide to focus on something other than the person’s eyes? Why did you choose to ignore the Rule of Thirds for a particular photo? You don’t have to defend your choices to me or to anybody else, but you should be able to sit down and think about a photo and replay the choices you made in your head.
82
Focus On Photographing People