From the course: The Practicing Photographer

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Legibility and communication

Legibility and communication

- We all know that rules are necessary in many contexts but we also know that breaking the rules is what often leads to advancement. And so we go through life trying to judge when we should color inside the lines. And when we should think outside the box. In my courses I often argue that you should not try to follow recipes for good photographs and that the idea of rules often leads to recipe-based thinking. And yet you'll also hear me saying that you can't ignore the basics. Horizons usually need to be level, your subject needs to be in focus. You have to have good exposure and so on. So how do you know, how do you know when it's okay to bend or break what might be called a rule and go off on your own? I can tell you that question gets easier with experience but here's an idea that might help. I was recently re-watching Gary Hustwit excellent documentary Helvetica which traces the history and social impact of the Helvetica typeface. At one point, there's a discussion of the…

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