subject in the center?

mmphoto

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i was told that the bird shouldn't be dead center but i'm not sure i agree with that.
498692620_8a03e79e48.jpg
some things are meant to be dead center if you ask me... i know its a no-no but any other position with this just seems wrong...
 
so no one has a thought on this?
 
the rule of thirds is great for making images more interesting but for some subjects it doesn't work as well eg portraits and symmetrical objects.

It all comes down to what you prefer. I like the bird in the middle but i also like the crop you have. I think i prefer the cropped version but it's all subjective.
 
Putting the subject off centre (or following the 'rule of thirds')...is just a guideline. It's not a hard and fast rule. Even if it was a rule...rules are meant to be broken.

There has been a lot of study on why people seem to like images that do not have a centred subject. I've read a bit about it, some of it is interesting, some of it isn't.

They way I like to evaluate images...is how does my eye's gaze move around the image. Often, a central subject will grab the view's eye but keep it locked in the centre and not easily allow it to move around and explore the image. The result is a somewhat boring image that a view looks at and then looks away. On the other hand, an image with good flow, will allow the eye to move around (sometimes in and out of) the image. Always looking, always searching for something new...it's a more interesting image.

This is pretty much philosophical...so do what you think is best. :D
 
yeah mike you're right about a lot of that- what i like about the cropped version is that it asks the eye to notice the ice covered branches which is interesting in itself. and maybe the cropped version would not have been as interesting if the branches were ordinary branches. but i just love his pointy little head no matter where it is! =)
yeah i'll be messing with the original when i get home later :p thanks~!
 
In my opinion it isnt so much about the rule of thirds as it is balance. If it seems balanced to your eye then go with it. But for gods sake dont stick in a third just because someone told you that was cool cause it really isnt unless you have something interesting in the other two thirds. That rule to me mostly applies to portraits anyway.
 
In my opinion it isnt so much about the rule of thirds as it is balance. If it seems balanced to your eye then go with it. But for gods sake dont stick in a third just because someone told you that was cool cause it really isnt unless you have something interesting in the other two thirds. That rule to me mostly applies to portraits anyway.

actually, despite learning the rule, i've always only relied on my own eye and usually am happy with what i get in camera. i believe that composition should be something you "see" to begin with, that looks interesting to the photographer, and not something to be haggled and cropped over as an afterthought. although in this case i think both ways look good. even though the simple cropping puts a whole different perspective on the photo.
 
Debating the 'rule' of thirds in the abstract isn't very satisfying - (like phone sex from the office). Here is a crop that I find satisfying. Most of the branches point to the area of the bird and the remaining branches on upper right close off the scene. Also, left to right as my eye enters the scene, closer branches to further away branches.



4986926208a03e79e48bbur6.jpg


What does everyone think of this?
 
i think that the long lines of those vertical branches gives it a height that a lower position of the bird draws attention to.. but now that i look at it, putting the bird on right at all is drawing my attention to that one branch and its cutting the picture in half. gonna try cropping a few different ways with the bigger version at home because the original posted here is cropped as it is.
 
Wether you use the rule of thirds in this image or not I think the real problem with it is the bird is out of focus.
 
Wether you use the rule of thirds in this image or not I think the real problem with it is the bird is out of focus.

I agree. Using Photoshop as well, the branch directly behind the bird and the one directly in front need to be cloned out using the Photoshop tool.

It is almost impossible to get a great grab shot of a bird because you need to be in the right location, have a sufficiently long telephoto and a tripod. :wink:
skieur
 
well you can thank my Tamron for the out of focus... maybe my contacts too! its a 1980's MF lens that isn't so clear as it approaches 210mm. i wish it HAD been in sharper focus! i do have a couple that are a bit sharper but the bird is covered by branches and not in a good way. there were about 15 cardinals flittering in and out of that tree and without my tripod they were impossible to shoot! hah i'm lucky i got what i did!

but i do like the the small cropped portrait shot. looks pretty sweet but it does emphasize the out of focus factor
 

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