Even the pros rarely ignore the rules. Usually when they do it's because they are trying to make a statement or point out something in particular. Like having the focal person looking out of the image rather than in - it creates a sense of suspense in the viewer without their knowing why.
The one that really got me was "move in close - then move in closer". You can easily be too far from the subject, but you can rarely ever be too close. Getting the whale's eye because you are too close has a lot more impact than getting all of the whale plus half the ocean.
