The more you learn the 'correct' compositions, the more boring your photos become

The reason why your photos become more boring the more you learn the 'correct' compositions

If you think, 'Wait, this is about me...', then be careful

The rule of thirds. The bullseye composition is a no-go. Use diagonal composition to create depth.

About six months after starting photography, these 'composition textbooks' start to fill your head, don't they?

But haven't you ever suddenly noticed something?

That 'even though my knowledge has increased, my photos have somehow become boring' feeling.

I feel like the photos I took randomly with my smartphone back in the day were somehow better. Even when I upload them to social media, the response is weak. No matter what I shoot, it's 'by the book,' and I feel like I've lost my individuality.

If you have even the slightest inkling of this, today's talk will surely hit home.

Why photos die when you learn the 'correct answers'

To put it simply, composition knowledge is something to 'use,' not something to 'follow.'

When you're a beginner, composition rules look like 'laws to be obeyed.' Like the correct answers on a test.

That's why you unconsciously think like this:

But this is actually putting the cart before the horse.

People who are good at photography use composition rules as 'tools to convey their feelings.' It's not 'because it looks like the correct answer,' but rather, 'I chose this composition because I want it to look this way'—that's the order.

When this order is reversed, 'what you felt when you took the photo' disappears from the image. Photos that are technically correct but somehow don't stick in your memory. That is the true nature of 'boring, textbook-style photos.'

1. The 'thought-stop button' called the rule of thirds

The rule of thirds is convenient, isn't it? Just by aligning with the grid lines, you get a decent-looking photo.

But because it's too convenient, this phenomenon occurs:

• Everything you shoot ends up with the same composition

• You cannot explain 'why you placed it there'

• You feel like it's 'already finished' the moment you take the shot, so you stop putting in the effort

For example, I once took 100 photos of cherry blossoms, faithfully adhering to the rule of thirds. As a result, I fell into the hell of every photo looking the same and being unable to choose one.

On the other hand, the one I liked best when looking back later was a shot where I pushed the cherry blossoms to the very edge of the frame, leaving empty space. In terms of rules, it was a composition that might be called 'too centered' or 'having unstable negative space.' But that negative space conveyed a sense of 'stillness.'

Rules are just one option. They are not the absolute goal.

② 'What you want to show' comes before 'taking a good picture'

This is the order that people who have just started learning composition tend to fall into.

1. Look at the subject

2. Think, 'Which composition should I apply here?'

3. Press the shutter

But for people who take attractive photos, the order is reversed.

1. Ask yourself, 'What was it about this that drew me in?'

2. Choose the composition that best conveys that feelingafterward

3. Press the shutter

For example, when taking a picture of 'steaming ramen.'

• If you want to convey 'warmth,' use a composition that makes the steam look large

• If you want to convey 'the feeling of enjoying it quietly alone,' use a composition that intentionally pulls back to include the entire table

Even with the same subject, the correct answer changes depending on the feeling you want to convey. Composition is something that follows afterward.

③ Have the courage to intentionally 'break' it

What people who have learned composition should do next is actually 'practice breaking it'.

• Daring to tilt the horizon slightly

• Placing the subject dead center (bullseye composition)

• Crushing half the frame into pure black

You'll see when you try it, but the moment you break the rules, your 'own style' often emerges. Photos that follow the rules look similar no matter who takes them, but photos that break them bleed with the photographer's 'quirks' and 'emotions'.

In fact, many photos that go viral on social media are those that 'slightly deviate from the rules.' Rather than textbook beauty, a shot with a hook is more likely to make people stop scrolling.

4. If you're aiming to monetize, it's even more important to break out of the 'mold'

If you want to earn money with your photography or build a following in the future, this is a matter of life and death.

If you look at stock photo sites or photos that buzz on social media, you'll see that 'photos that move the emotions' are chosen overwhelmingly more often than 'photos with correct composition'.

In fact, one photographer shared data showing that a landscape photo where they intentionally pushed the subject to the corner of the frame and used vast negative space to evoke 'loneliness' received over three times as many saves on social media compared to a shot with 'textbook composition'.

Knowing the correct answer is merely a prerequisite. The difference is made in 'how you break away from it'.

Summary: Learn the rules not to 'discard' them, but to 'break' them

Knowledge of composition will never go to waste.

But it's not the goal; it's the starting line.

From the moment you learn them, don't feel bound by the idea that you 'must follow these.' Instead, think of it as gaining the freedom to say, 'I know these, so I can choose to deviate from them'.

The next time you pick up your camera, try setting aside the 'correct answers' in your head for a moment. Then, ask yourself this:

'What part of this moved my heart?'

That answer will teach you your own unique composition.

If this article resonated with you, I would be happy if you could like and follow. If you have a 'daringly broken' shot you took recently, please let me know in the comments 📷