pictures that break composition rules

[BetterSense]

I recall seeing some famous portraits with appendages cut off, perspective distortion, lines leading out of the frame, tops of heads cut off etc. Can you think of specific examples either from photography or painting that an art teacher may have scolded you for but nevertheless is famous?

[Paul Metcalf]

1) soft elements in composition (lack of DOF)
2) no soft elements in composition (too much DOF)
3) no black tones
4) too many/much black tones

[djdister]

1) soft elements in composition (lack of DOF)
2) no soft elements in composition (too much DOF)
3) no black tones
4) too many/much black tones

Some more that I remember hearing long ago:
5) don't put the horizon exactly in the middle
6) don't put the subject dead center
7) avoid completely symmetrical compositions

[Alan Klein]

Well if the picture is of Winston Churchill, viewers won't notice. But if it's a picture of your kid brother, you better compose better.

[RSalles]

Ladies & gentlemen, prepare yourselves to the show of horrors...


BetterSense, just kidding, even when braking the supposed rules I find myself on the path of rules or flexing its muscles.
Last week I saw a terrific shot here at the forum with a "reverse" rule applied which I just loved,

Cheers,

Renato

[Kevin Crisp]

I did not know there were rules to break.

[Kirk Gittings]

I did not know there were rules to break.

There shouldn't be but there are.

[djdister]

Here's a hypothetical:

It is important to understand the rules of composition, before you set out to deliberately break them.

True or false?

[jp]

The only rules I had in high school art class were to be on time, don't ingest the photo chemicals, clean up after you're done, and don't misbehave enough to get sent to the principal's office.

Gertrude Kasebier's "Miss N" portrait is an interesting example of cut-off-head composition. It looks like the subject leaned forward to the camera/you after composition. Of course that's not the case as it would be out of focus with large format, but it still provokes that idea. Perfect abuse of contemporary academic composition, but masterful use of notan style of composition.

[paulr]

The only rules I had in high school art class were to be on time, don't ingest the photo chemicals, clean up after you're done, and don't misbehave enough to get sent to the principal's office.

Ok, those are still pretty good rules.