Composition, content, rules and butterfly

[Overread]

Not quite as exciting as a Quantum weather butterfly (points if you know where this is from), but a comment by a member here caused me to dig out an old shot (ok not that old but old by my count). Below you can see the shot itself as it is in its original out of camera composition and below that you can see the crop I made at the time.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2730/4314077575_6262ff4bf0_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3098/3230189724_fa1a66465a_o.jpg


So now you have seen the image the question arises was the crop correct? It's a simple question so lets see what answers we get. And because the hope is that disscusion can arise lets have answers with a bit of explination as well (rather than just one or two words ).

 

[Iron Flatline]

I prefer more lines and triangles.

 

[dxqcanada]

When framing a subject you have to think about how the rest of the scene balances with the subject ... and how you want to present the subject.

In this case it might be better to do a very close crop if you are recording this in a more scientific view.

If the other objects in the scene do not contribute ... then crop them out.

You can use other objects to change the way the viewer moves their eye throughout the image.

I personally would crop very close and use a horizontal format (the rest of the scene does not add to the subject).

 

[skieur]

I prefer more lines and triangles.

Although not perfect, given the blurred section at the bottom right I would go with this crop as well, but I would clone out the middle green stalk to the top of the flower.

skieur

 

[pcacj]

I downloaded your photo and cropped it on my own without looking at your crop. After I finished, I compared it to yours. Almost identical. So, you are a genius

 

[Mike_E]

Psssst

diagonal method

 

[HannahRebekah]

I actually like the blurred stuff in front in the original, perhaps just not to that extent. It adds a little more depth, plus it's something most people wouldn't do. I also think if what you were posting was small, and you wanted people to be able to see the detail on the butterfly, it should be cropped fairly close.

 

[skieur]

From a compositional perspective, it is generally felt that blurred objects in front of the centre of interest distract the eye and therefore do not contribute to a shot.

skieur

 

[grafxman]

I think they both look fine but I don't know much about composition, content or rules. I'll take a page from president Eisenhower. He did a lot of painting after he was out of office. He once said something like this: "I don't know much about painting but I know what I like." That works for me.

 

[HannahRebekah]

From a compositional perspective, it is generally felt that blurred objects in front of the centre of interest distract the eye and therefore do not contribute to a shot.

skieur

Generally, but one doesn't ALWAYS have to follow the rules. And sometimes it actually turns out when you don't.