There is a strange phenomenon, something that happens to all photographers, though you yourself may not have noticed it. I know that I did not notice this until it was pointed out to me. That phenomenon is the way that the mind’s eye tends to distort your own photographs. Your perceptions of your photographs, your memories of them, often aren’t exactly what the photograph actually displays. You may remember colors differently or you may see the image in the way that you want to see it. Sometimes, you are blinded to things within the photograph that perhaps don’t need to be a part of it.

In a nutshell, the image just isn’t what you imagine it to be.

Let me give you an example...

Every photographer’s training – whether self-taught or formally educated – starts with a lengthy set of artistic rules. We all learned that our images should be perfectly exposed and that they should follow the Rule of Thirds, for instance. These rules, along with so many others, are a great way for the new photographer to learn how to create beautiful compositions. After a while, these rules become second nature.

That’s where the problem lies. At a certain point, you’ll come to realize that blind adherence to artistic rules places a limit on creativity. Sometimes, you’ll need to break some rules to make a better image. I’ll show you which rules to break and when it’s acceptable to break them for the sake of art.

• Distortion of the Mind's Eye
• The History of Macro Photography
• 3 Photo Identification Tips You Never Knew
• How to Use a Neutral Density Filter
• A Guide to Real Estate Photography
• Developing Your Photographic Style
• How to Create Beautifully Realistic HDR Photographs
• Researching Old Photo Studios to Identify 19th Century Photographs