I took the two Black & White photographs above at Seattle’s Magnuson Park, where there is a Fin Art Sculpture installation by John T. Young. (If you get a chance, you have to watch his 25-minutes fabulous You Call That Art?! YouTube video!)
In the first photo, I followed one of the classic rules of landscape photography—align the horizon. I follow this rule 99% of the time because a slightly off-aligned horizon usually is a sign of sloppy photography.
However, in the second photo, I intentionally aligned the photograph with the vertical fin in the foreground, resulting in a tilted horizon of about 30 degrees, which I think duplicates the roll or heel of a submarine (or a whale).
So which photo is better?
Although there is always some subjectivity, the vertical photo with the angulated horizon is creatively superior because it is no longer just a nice snapshot, it is something new—something creative—which I have brought to the table.
And the key point?
If you understand a creative rule, it can be productive and a heck of a lot of fun breaking them!