pecohen wrote:
Typically I just shoot what I think looks good and frame it so it looks right, but from time to time I do read about photo composition. I stopped my car because of the leading line provided by the wood dock which, as shown in the first image, pointed directly to the distant mountain. But after shooting that, I noticed the flowering bush that could be moved into the foreground as shown in the second image. I prefer that second image, but it occurs to me that in that image the bush assumes a more prominent role and is perhaps is now the subject of the picture. The leading line to that extent becomes a distraction, serving to pull attention away from the subject in the foreground. Should I be troubled by that distraction?
Or perhaps I should just conclude that composition rules are made to be broken? By the way, the name of this place is "Pretty Marsh".
Typically I just shoot what I think looks good and... (
show quote)
There is quite a lot going on here, in both examples.
What
'good composition' is is a very subjective thing of course, so you may disagree with anything I suggest and I won't take offence.
Firstly though, I can't say with 100% certainty what I would do myself without being at this location to try out various POVs before settling on one.
Okay, here we go:
1) I'd frame it so that the dark join in the jetty (or "dock") is not in the frame. And worse still, that dark join being so close to the bottom margin in the second example makes it even more of a distraction for me than it is in the first image. Of course, you could also crop this out, but for me personally, I like observing these sorts of things when I shoot my photos and I try to avoid them when I'm out shooting in the field. Nothing wrong with cropping instead though. Or another alternative is in PS to paint over the lower part of the jetty using some of the upper part. That is not difficult to do and to make it look geniune, but some people don't like to do that sort of editing, and I understand that opinion.
2) I would probably paint out the bit of tree in the top-right corner. Replace it with more of the blue sky. As mentioned in my first point though, I would have tried to get a POV so that the tree was not in the frame in the beginning as well, but I know that is now always possible.
3) I would have moved a little so that the jetty was aiming directly towards that centre hill over the other side of the lake. It's pointing a little to the left of the hill in both cases.
4) I'd have got done lower so that the jetty appears to protrude a lot farther into the lake.
(I think that by doing both points 3 and 4, it would probably make for a stronger focal point.)
5) I'd like to have put on an ND and done a long exposure with this scene. Or being there when the day's light is low. (Or an IR filter might have made it a very magical image, but we don't all have one of those, myself included.)
6) The amount of sky that fills the upper secion of the frame, well, I think maybe it's a bit too much in the first image and not quite enough in the second image. But it's not a big issue IMHO. However, this is always something I put thought into every time I shoot scenes such as these.
7) As for the foreground plant with the white flowers, it's far better in the second image IMHO. Being mostly cut through in the first image doesn't work for me really. And I like how the foliage leans into image and towards the jetty. That is good. If it had been leaning outward instead then that would not have worked so well for the composition.
8) I'd try tone mapping the image in post, but not too severely. And I'd also try converting it to B&W as well. Just to see how it turned out. It might not work.
Also putting a human or three on the end of the jetty would have been marvellous. I know, you can't always do that for any range of reasons, but a man in a black suit and with black umbrella, or a standing nude lady viewed from the rear with her arms up towards the sky, or two or three children sitting on the end on the jetty, would have turned it into something a whole lot better, made it more interesting, and given it a really strong focal point. But I understand, sometimes when I am in places like this and taking some snaps I am also usually wishing I had a human to add into my scene. None of us can always do it, and it usually needs some pre-planning, or some very good luck. But if you're really keen and don't have a real human, then there are other ways, such as taking a scarecrow, or a suitably dressed mannequin, everywhere with you.
To finish, I think the second image is the better one overall. And it is a nice peaceful scene and quite well captured.