Breaking the Rules in Street Photography

How and When to Break the Rules

How can we break the rules? And when should we break the rules?

I believe that in order to break the rules, one must have a free mind—a free spirit, someone who isn’t limited by dogmas, beliefs, or traditions. Ultimately, there is no 1-2-3, ABC formula on how to practice street photography. One must develop their own game to play when out there on the streets.

The Box That Traps You

Consider the way in which you consume, produce, and publish your photography. Are you using Instagram? Are you limited to the four corners of a box?

You see me here in the mirror, reflected back within the four corners of that box. It reminds me of the mental blockage these platforms like Instagram create—trapping you in a grid.

“Delete your Instagram. Get off of these platforms that trap you in a box.”

Since I deleted my Instagram, I’ve been experimenting, playing, tinkering—not taking things too seriously, which is allowing me to break the rules intentionally.

Master the Basics First

Composition is important, right? It’s the foundation of a photograph. But in street photography, the raw emotion of the street should take priority.

“In order to break the rules, one must learn them first.”

The Fundamentals Matter

I don’t want to promote lazy photography. I want you to:

Go out there and become a competent photographer.
Practice daily with consistency.
Be persistent with your process.
Master the basics.

Every photographer should be able to articulate the chaos within the frame and bring order to the moments within a composition. If you don’t know the rules, how can you break them?

Breaking the Rules with Intention

Once you understand the rules, you can break them with purpose. Here are some of my photographs from over the past decade—from Philadelphia to Jericho, Naples, Zambia, and Mumbai—where I’ve broken the rules intentionally.

By experimenting with high contrast black and white, I focus on:

Relationships between subjects, moments, and elements.
Crushing the shadows.
Focusing on the highlights.

“Street photography—life itself—is imperfect. Perhaps embracing imperfection as perfection is the way forward.”

Embracing Chaos

Sometimes the most chaotic scenes can be the most powerful. They may break traditional compositional rules—things might be cut off, moments may feel wonky—but the emotion is what matters.

“The best street photos aren’t perfect. They just feel right.”

Study the Masters

I’ve been studying Japanese photographers like Daido Moriyama, who use imperfection as a strength—prioritizing feeling over clarity, challenging what “good photography” means.

By studying their work, we gain a better understanding of how to:

Use grain, blur, and grit to elevate emotion.
Push the boundaries beyond traditional photography.
Develop our own visual language.

“To push the boundaries and break the rules, one must have the tools under their belt.”

Trust Your Gut

Composition is intuition. The best photos aren’t planned—they happen in the moment. So:

Follow your gut.
Respond to your instincts.
Prioritize the energy of the street over perfection.

“The blur, the grain, the overexposure—these things can actually add depth and intensity.”

Examples of Breaking the Rules

Blur & Motion

Photographing nuns giving out pamphlets in a church, I intentionally used motion blur to capture the raw energy of the scene.

Overexposure & Mood

In Queens, New York, I shot an overexposed scene—focusing on the moment rather than perfect exposure. The grit and grain in the frame enhanced the emotion of the street.

Layering with Intuition

In a Parisian café, I focused on a woman sitting alone. The composition wasn’t “perfect,” but the emotion was real. The scene became a mix of chaotic elements that formed something uniquely powerful.

The Technical Side: Breaking Exposure Rules

I use the Ricoh GR III with high-contrast black-and-white JPEGs baked in. My technique:

Expose for the highlights.
Crush the shadows.
Lock exposure by half-pressing the shutter.
Recompose and shoot.

This allows me to experiment with exposure quickly and achieve unique effects.

“By exposing for the shadows, I can create something visually interesting and impactful through experimentation.”

Example: Winter Street Reflections

A mirror in a trash can caught the perfect winter light.
A woman lighting her cigarette gave the scene life.
Using exposure tricks, I created an enormous glow that enhanced the photograph.

No Rules, No Guidelines

At the end of the day, there is no 1-2-3 method to this. Intuition is more important than any formula.

“Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, fail, and break through the process of breaking the rules.”

My Advice:

Shoot every day.
Experiment and fail.
Find your own way to play the game.

This is the beauty of street photography—there are endless ways to photograph. So go out there, break the rules, and evolve.

Final Thoughts

I’m constantly experimenting, evolving, and pushing myself beyond the basics. Breaking the rules is about freedom, intuition, and play.

“There are no rules, no guidelines in street photography. And that is what makes it the most liberating medium.”

Go out there, explore the unknown, and break the rules intentionally.

Peace.