Screw the rules of photography!

I took one formal photography class, in college, with a professor named Jay who shortened his name to J. My college has a reputation for being somewhat of an iconoclastic institution (which is sort of an oxymoron), a reputation that has in part been maintained by professors like J. He took half a class to talk about the "rules of photography," (the rule of thirds is the most infamous) and spent the other half debunking these so-called "rules." When finished, he ripped off a paper that said "the rules of photography" and instead wrote "Screw the rules of photography!"

I was sort of thinking about this when people give me suggestions on what to photograph when traveling. Many people have specific ideas about what photography should be, be it certain genres such as landscape, documentary, or portraits. I see the same problem in travel writing: people follow dumb rules which ultimately make travel writing and photography quite boring. This book review in the New York Times explains just why I often find travel writing dull:

"After he spends time with an elderly woman in Ecuador, he puts the purple ink into his desktop printer and notes that 'her eyes and head were full of wisdom acquired from a lifetime in the jungle.'

...There is no wit in “Gringo,” no humor, no sharp observations, no strange or thrilling adventures. (Mr. Boudin should have remembered another of Mr. Theroux’s remarks: 'The worst trips make the best reading.') "

I think the same can be applied to the practice of photography, particularly travel photography. That's why I've tried to avoid making my blog a travel photo blog.