B&W Composition - Lines: I am working through a composition tutorial and this chapter is an exercise in lines in black and white. Shot with a Canon T6, 55-250mm. I have cropped the...

kenievans Loc: Dallas

I am working through a composition tutorial and this chapter is an exercise in lines in black and white. Shot with a Canon T6, 55-250mm. I have cropped the shot 3 different ways. I don't think I got the impact that I was looking for. I wanted more of a tunnel vision to the tree, more of a forced perspective. I tried shooting with a 24mm fixed lens but it was just too wide of an angle. Any suggestions on how I could have improved the shot? A lower angle of view? A different lens?

Kozan Loc: Trenton Tennessee

What if you put the horizon toward the top instead of the bottom.? To me that would be a more forced perspective.
Image #1 looks the best to me.

jak86094

I think Kozan's on the right track. The sky is NOT your subject, though some dramatic post processing might make it eye catching. Start with #3. Crop at the top so the crown of the tree is in the top third of the photo then crop both sides so the width of the tree is half to two thirds the width of the image and see how that looks. Nice shot, though. Lots to work with on your assignment. Share your final with us if you get the chance...whatever you choose to do. Good shooting and good luck.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

I suggest a narrower crop AND less sky. And try adding extra contrast to the few furrows in the middle that lead the eye. A vertical stretch may be worth trying as well.

kenievans Loc: Dallas

Thank you both for the advise. Cropping #3 definitely gave me the perspective I was looking for but I lost the sense of isolation of the tree. Cropping #1 gives me some of the perspective while keeping more of the mood of the shot. Great lesson!

luvmypets Loc: Born & raised Texan living in Fayetteville NC

I think you should take out even more sky. Put the top of the tree at the very top of your photo and see how the lines are more the point of focus.

DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

I'm wondering what the crop growing in the field is.

kenievans Loc: Dallas

DWU2 wrote:

I'm wondering what the crop growing in the field is.

I believe it is cotton. It used to be the number one crop in this part of Texas but so many fields are now just giant subdivision. This field is about 15 miles southeast of downtown Dallas.

jak86094

I think the second image above is getting there. Try giving the same headroom above the tree as you have give on each side and see how that works.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

Were you restricted to landscape mode? For the effect you seem to have wanted, I’d have shot in vertical.

ediesaul

kenievans wrote:

I am working through a composition tutorial and this chapter is an exercise in lines in black and white. Shot with a Canon T6, 55-250mm. I have cropped the shot 3 different ways. I don't think I got the impact that I was looking for. I wanted more of a tunnel vision to the tree, more of a forced perspective. I tried shooting with a 24mm fixed lens but it was just too wide of an angle. Any suggestions on how I could have improved the shot? A lower angle of view? A different lens?

I like the top shot in landscape mode and here's why. The horizontal nature of the shot is part of the composition. It contrasts well with the leading lines to the tree. I also like the amount of sky because it balances with the foreground. I think that if you added some post-processing - like more contrast - this shot would be very appealing. I like it more than all the others that are posted.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

I agree, cropping No. 3 has the right perspective. Always when doing an assignment such as this keep in mind that a wide angle and a tele will give you different points of view or perspective if you prefer to call them like that.
With the wide angle you have to come close to the subject and the background will be expanded or made to look farther away. With the tele you are compressing the perspective and now the tree is larger and the background seems to be immediately behind. It is just a matter of trying both and changing the distance to the subject to see which one will have the effect you are looking for.

kenievans Loc: Dallas

jaymatt wrote:

Were you restricted to landscape mode? For the effect you seem to have wanted, Iâd have shot in vertical.

I think I was trying to do two different things with the shot at one time. What originally caught my eye was this tree in the middle of this huge field. I thought of it as my lonely tree then I saw I could line up the rows with the tree for the lines I was looking for. I kept going for the horizontal shot to get the lonely feel of the tree and the lines. I see now that it would need to be two different shots, one to emphasize the lines by compressing them and one for the "moody" shot. I think I am saying this right. Still trying to learn the language as well as how to shoot. This is the original shot before I did any post processing and converted it to B&W.

(Download)

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

In skimming previous comments, I don't see any reference to the light. Can you take the shot again, with the sun shining on the background trees? Perhaps in early or mid-morning (assuming your date/time stamp is correct on this one

) or when clouds aren't casting shadows on that section. With what you have here, regardless of the cropping or perspective, the tree is disappearing into the row behind it.

kenievans Loc: Dallas

Argh!!! So much to learn. Only 3844 days left to retirement and I can spend as much time as I want on this neverending quest. Thank you all for your input.