maxlieberman Loc: 19027

I think that the image with a square crop cutting out most of the foreground leaves is much stronger., unless the foreground is your subject.

J-SPEIGHT Loc: Akron, Ohio

I like it. Very nice image.

Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV

Your photo is beautiful! This is not meant as a criticism, but it looks like a photo out of an old Kodak how-to book where they said that to make a photo successful put a person wearing RED somewhere in the frame!

MFTVGirl Loc: Baltimore, MD

The leaves also help to carry the yellows and golds around the image.

Moondoggie Loc: Southern California

I like your picture just they way you took it.

Earnest Botello Loc: Hockley, Texas

It's a great image, best left alone.

SalvageDiver Loc: Huntington Beach CA

IMO, the leaves in the foreground 'do' enhance the image. They provide context about the time of year and add visual interest to the scene.

While the idea of a leading line was questioned, I see a nice leading line starting at the left reflection, proceeding to the right reflection, then thru the nearest street lamp, up the stairs to the couple and thru the bright part of the clouds, exiting out the upper left of the image.

I do have some suggestions regarding this image. First, I thinks its a very nicely composed image and I don't feel any crop would enhance it. It has strong bones (a critique I received once) but it needs just a little TLC, if you do any post-processing.

1) The branches in the upper left are a distraction and don't add to the composition so I would remove them but not using a crop. The current composition is fine.

2) I would remove the garbage can at the foot of the steps. It's an eyesore and doesn't add to the composition, at all.

3) The lit street lamps indicate that it's evening, but the brightness of the image doesn't support that. Consider decreasing the image brightness and increasing contrast to give the viewer a sense of evening.

4) The white background thru the main tree and the tree branches in the upper right makes it feel like a PP halo. Darkening the bright areas thru the trees would reduce this effect making the sky a more natural look.

5) A little selective dodge and burn would enhance the lighting, strengthening the evening feel and further strengthen the leading line.

6) Finally, the lens flare in the green shrubs above the golden bush is another distraction that wouldn't hurt if it wasn't there.

Just my thoughts and opinion about this image. Hope this gives you some ideas about your final print.

Mike

(Download)

dreff Loc: Bow, WA

They do...see M.C. Escher's "Three Thoughts"

dhspeck

I'd crop most of them out.

gwilliams6

Thanks. You are welcome to your critical opinion, that is the UHHer way to find SOMETHING they dislike about any photo posted here, LOL.

FYI, as a career, worldwide award winning photojournalist I dont stage travel photos, and this was a candid shot of someone else's kids that I chose to frame in my composition. I had nothing to do with what clothes and colors they were dressed in and what they were doing. LOL

Now back to the important points in response to some comments here.
As a longtime judge of top photo contests, if I was shown the OP's original composition with the leaves in the foreground, and the doctored and cropped ones that folks are suggesting, there would be no doubt which shot would be the winning composition, the original with the leaves and nothing else changed. Same if any of my university photo students presented these suggested versions.

Sure I crop some photos for better clarity and dramatic effect, but I also prefer to crop in the camera and leave it alone in post. I teach this to all my photo students.

IMHO, the doctored and cropped ones just dont have the same interest and depth of the original, not even close Sometimes less manipulation in post is better than more tinkering, this is one of those cases.

Cheers and best to you all.

daldds Loc: NYC

I didn't realize how much interest my photo and question would generate. I enjoyed all of the remarks, all of the critiques (even those with which I did not agree).
This photo was taken at 10:30 in the morning as the storm was leaving the area. What some of you have done with the image shows how differently we all observe. Fun, isn't it?

gwilliams6

A quote from online Digital Photography School:

"Get it right the first time
I need to close this article with a rather important cropping caveat: it’s always best to get the photo right at the time you shoot it. Cropping is fine and can certainly be used to great effect. But really, the best solution is to make sure you are shooting intentionally and using things like leading lines and eliminating distractions when you actually take the photos. However if you find that your images just aren’t quite as appealing as they could be, then by all means start cropping."

https://digital-photography-school.com/tips-cropping-better-composition/

Cheers and best to you. I love your shot, just the way it is.

gwilliams6

I totally agree,

PAR4DCR Loc: A Sunny Place

Like the image. Keep the leaves and remove the branches in the upper left hand corner.

Don

Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV

As I said. No criticism intended. I didn't dislike ANYTHING about the photo...geeze!
A bit touchy are we??