Pigeons - something or nothing?

Johnboy2978 · Dec 11, 2004

Is this something or nothing? I kind of like it, but haven't decided yet.

motcon · Dec 11, 2004

i'm thinking a tighter crop to remove some information and place objects in compositional quadrants.
something like this:

sillyphaunt · Dec 11, 2004

I think the idea is good, but I just don't like the old man. I think without him it would have been a much better picture, even without the cropping.

JonMikal · Dec 11, 2004

the original is much better IMO. the crop leaves me without a sense of space (judging from the architecture of the backdrop, this is an old monument or historic structure of sorts); and the presence of the old man tells a story in perhaps he and the pigeons are old friends that meet occasionally. again, for me, excellent work! :thumbsup:

motcon · Dec 11, 2004

in the original composition my eyes first go to the stairway lower left, then up to the column on the left. i'm not convinced that they are the intended subjects, though i could be wrong. my mind is in conflict with the diagonals, verticals, horizontals, dimensional (stairs). the birds and the man are, frankly, secondary considerations when i look at it.

question: were you trying to catch an emotive scene or a natural scene? ie - a photograph or a picture?

JonMikal · Dec 11, 2004

motcon said:
in the original composition my eyes first go to the stairway lower left, then up to the column on the left. i'm not convinced that they are the intended subjects, though i could be wrong. my mind is in conflict with the diagonals, verticals, horizontals, dimensional (stairs). the birds and the man are, frankly, secondary considerations when i look at it.

question: were you trying to catch an emotive scene or a natural scene? ie - a photograph or a picture?

be that as it may, images are like songs in that the composers are leaving you with something to interpret yourself. although my eyes may be drawn to those areas first, the man and birds are the subject for me as i get a strong feeling of isolation intermingled with copanionship rather than a composition of lines. just my .02 worth.

motcon · Dec 12, 2004

then my education in musical composition differs from yours.
we agree to disagree.

triggerhappy · Dec 12, 2004

I think it is something but would crop the stairs. I find them leading my eye away from the man.

John E. · Dec 12, 2004

I think at the very least at little cropping on the right side is in order, the subject is too centered and all the action is happening on the left side.

Edit: Almost forgot to say the picture is worth keeping, the man and the pigeons do have appeal.

2Stupid2Duck · Dec 12, 2004

I like the top shot better. Any way you can lighten the pidgeons tho? They are a tad dark for me.

Oh.. and definately a "something."

ajmall · Dec 12, 2004

ew sky rats!! maybe a closer shot of the sky rats would be better?

Firelance · Dec 12, 2004

The shot is good!
My thoughts:

-A bit more contrast
-Cropping would do good, but there's a lack of space in motcon's cropped version.
-The old man is good I guess, I think you just have to compare this and a picture without him to see what's best.

Corry · Dec 12, 2004

I personally think the old man makes the photo. You take him out, and you lose a lot of character.

JonMikal · Dec 12, 2004

ok ok ok perhaps a bit of cropping is in order, :? but the man and birds need to stay. :wink:

Nikon Fan · Dec 12, 2004

I agree to leave the man, but a crop would do. He is directly in the middle in the first pic and that is distracting. I like it because it's sort of like all these birds are around him and he isn't even paying attention to them...wonder what he's thinking about???