I make photos because Im into pictures. I love to create pictures and i like to have some around me. No matter if they are photos, pencil drawings, oilpaintings, 3D renderings, airbrush or what ever. They only have to touch me in some way. This might be because they are colorful or dark, exciting or calm, harmonic or provocative. And here come the rules: there are some rules concerning human senses. That means for example you can gain a certain effect with a certain composition. You can gain the opposite effect if you break the rule. But you have to know it, before you can break it. As far as I experienced. So "rules" in this case is nothing to follow (or break ;))like a man made law, its more like " the apple always drops down". Following or breaking the rules is no guarantee for a good picture. But they might help you to understand, what you are doing. Breaking them might help us to understand what you are thinking. Like zhounder i came to renderosity because i started working with 3D-Apps and was searching for some resources. Then i saw the photoforum... I started to make photos about 13 years ago, and still its my favorite way of creating pictures. Like any other technique its got its own rules. I dont think i follow more rules than 13 years ago, but i think my pictures became better, because now i know some of them. Dont let he rules get in your way, use them how you feel. And if you want to break some, give me a call! ;)