What do people think of this shot?

NorthstaNder · 23 Jul 2008 at 20:24

General snapshot? Well composed? Boring? Good colours? OK? Rubbish!? I don't mind peoples honest opinions!

It was taken in Cambridge on a very hot and sunny day and it was the day I learnt to use my circular polariser properly! Apart from the border and name tag, this is straight out of the camera.

Mr Jones · 23 Jul 2008 at 20:56

I personally think it's good~ I love the colours of the grass, sky and clouds. Just not too sure where the focus of this image is really...

Dange · 23 Jul 2008 at 21:13

I agree with Dr Jones, the colours look great- especially the sky.

mrgubby · 23 Jul 2008 at 22:46

Dr Jones said:
I personally think it's good~ I love the colours of the grass, sky and clouds. Just not too sure where the focus of this image is really...

I think it could have done with a bit more sky to balance the grass & pull the eye in.

Hope you don't mind but I did a quick cut & paste to show what I mean

NorthstaNder · 23 Jul 2008 at 23:07

Thankyou guys. The main focus is the Church, and the idea is that the lines in the grass takes you towards it.

I took a few shots, some with more sky, some with more grass but I settled on this one as my favourite with the focus nearer the middle.

Mr Jones · 23 Jul 2008 at 23:41

NorthstaNder said:
Thankyou guys. The main focus is the Church, and the idea is that the lines in the grass takes you towards it.

I find that the lines draw me to that big bush on the left

A.N.Other · 24 Jul 2008 at 00:07

Dr Jones said:
I find that the lines draw me to that big bush on the left

Just what I was about to say.

33L · 24 Jul 2008 at 11:05

the lines on the grass need to lead to it. these lines move towards and straight past again. you would probably need a tighter crop to get the church as your Point of interest
.

Andrew_McP · 24 Jul 2008 at 16:17

I like Gubby's extra bit of sky, but even without it, the first impression (which usually counts a lot) is that it's a very satisfying image.

I think it follows artistic rather than photographic composition rules. The eye is drawn down the lines, up the tree, into the cloud, which points towards the other clouds, then down the tower, into the crowd, and you wonder if someone's getting married.

That's quite a journey... for me anyway. Others may still be striping their way up and down the lawn OCD-stylee. :-)

Andrew McP

NorthstaNder · 25 Jul 2008 at 09:06

Andrew_McP said:
I like Gubby's extra bit of sky, but even without it, the first impression (which usually counts a lot) is that it's a very satisfying image.

I think it follows artistic rather than photographic composition rules. The eye is drawn down the lines, up the tree, into the cloud, which points towards the other clouds, then down the tower, into the crowd, and you wonder if someone's getting married.

That's quite a journey... for me anyway. Others may still be striping their way up and down the lawn OCD-stylee.

Andrew McP

I always find it incredible how people interpret photo's. That is indeed quite a journey, and one that I like!

Thanks!

D.P. · 25 Jul 2008 at 09:26

Dr Jones said:
I personally think it's good~ I love the colours of the grass, sky and clouds. Just not too sure where the focus of this image is really...

I agree exactly. Looks very nice to begin with, nice form and colours. But I found my eye going in circles looking for the subject . The lines in the grass lead to the tree, which isn't the obvious subject. The tower is not large enough to draw its own attention.

But apart form that technically its good.

D.P. · 25 Jul 2008 at 09:29

Andrew_McP said:
I like Gubby's extra bit of sky, but even without it, the first impression (which usually counts a lot) is that it's a very satisfying image.

I think it follows artistic rather than photographic composition rules. The eye is drawn down the lines, up the tree, into the cloud, which points towards the other clouds, then down the tower, into the crowd, and you wonder if someone's getting married.

That's quite a journey... for me anyway. Others may still be striping their way up and down the lawn OCD-stylee.

Andrew McP

There is no difference between photographic and artistic composure. Unless you are doing something like scientific photography or stock photography of object etc.

An aesthetic image follows much the same guidelines as any painter would. The problem the photographer has is that he can't easily cheat and alter the perceived environment to fit his idea or change the lighting in his mind.

martinturner · 25 Jul 2008 at 09:38

I like it, but do question the focal point. I know what your focal point should be, but cannot help that the green lines are what my eye is immediately drawn to.

EDIT: Hey J, only just realised it was you; what no flower macros ;-)

Raymond Lin · 25 Jul 2008 at 10:12

It's like a postcard/calendar shot, very nice.

ChroniC · 25 Jul 2008 at 10:45

D.P. said:
There is no difference between photographic and artistic composure. Unless you are doing something like scientific photography or stock photography of object etc.

There is an incredible amount of difference between the two, it is a downfall imo of learning photography from digital photography magazine or similar that people do no understand that, and it is plainly obvious through-out this forum, where almost every shot is un-artistic but perfectly composed to rules of third.

An aesthetic image follows much the same guidelines as any painter would. The problem the photographer has is that he can't easily cheat and alter the perceived environment to fit his idea or change the lighting in his mind.

You can alter the percieved enviroment, through composition and focus, and you can change the light with filters, speed, apertures and processing. There are many ways that a photographer can be creative instead of just snapping.

martinturner · 25 Jul 2008 at 10:54

ChroniC ... I could not agree more.

gadgets · 25 Jul 2008 at 17:15

mrgubby said:
I think it could have done with a bit more sky to balance the grass & pull the eye in.

Hope you don't mind but I did a quick cut & paste to show what I mean

you should have gone furter and made it 1/3's

original was neither one thing or the other, colours were good though.

SilverPenguin · 31 Jul 2008 at 15:49

I think its a lovely postcard shot although the very first thought I had were that the placement of the clouds on the right make the tower and chimneys on the roof tops look like they are smoking!

domthecondom · 31 Jul 2008 at 16:24

puffing away

Nicos Rex · 1 Aug 2008 at 10:25

As an exercise in the use of a polariser the shot is a resounding success - I suspect without it the sky would have looked a lot more washed out and the clouds would not have shown up so nicely.

The composition just doesn't work for me. My eye is drawn straight to the point where the tree meets the road and there is nothing there! I would have probably composed it with far less of the grass (maybe with the third dark stripe up going to the bottom right corner) and would have annoyed anybody with me by walking to left and right for ages trying to get the angle "right".