We all have a foot in both camps, one in science and one in art. However most of us have a leaning more to one than the other. Quoting Edward Weston ‘to consult the rules of composition before making a picture is a little like consulting the law of gravity before going for a walk’, it is clear to me that he is firmly in the ‘art’ camp. Anybody from this side of the line knows (second nature) that a horizon should be horizontal before pressing the shutter, however it never fails to astound me how many iPhone pictures I see with ‘less than horizontal’ horizons! The horizon is of course only one small part of any composition, but for the artist it is part of his/her subconscious to ensure it is visually correct. Although not an accomplished photographer, I feel that I have been make images long enough now to know instinctively how to fill an image (at least on a geometrical level). However I do believe that even the most natural of photographers needs to study (if only their own work) and analyse to a much greater depth to fully understand the complexities of composition. Of which I include the semiology and linking of codes and symbols within an image. Much of this can be learnt in such books as Roland Barthes’ Image Music Text1.
REFERENCES
1 Barthes. R. (1977) Image Music Text. Harper Collins Publishers. London. Pages 15-51
I see! 