Composition Exercise

[kdthomas]

Can I get your comments as far as composition? And the pictures also ... I've been studying classical painting composition recently, and I want to see if I'm getting hits or misses with my intuition. Also the color treatment in 1.

1)

2)

3)

4)

 

[Derrel]

SHot #1 manages to gain a litle benefit from color, which clues us in to the low,low sunset and its weak, golden light's color temperature; the second version, in B&W, is a failure because the light is so flat, and the subject is flat, and there's no benefit to B&W...B&W is a net loss, a huge loss, in shot #2 versus #1. Even so, the light is low, low in the horizon, and the ground is FLAT...the color information is basically, all we've got for shot #1. Shot #1 has good overall balance. #2 has that odd, out of place curved line top left. Not working. I rate #1 a mild, mild success, and #2 a failure on all counts.

#3 is pleasing, although that black sky as deep blue metaphor feels a bit strained in 2015...maybe back off on the filtration to something a bit less melodramatic....or not...whatever you want to do. Compositionally, it's minimalist, but I think dramatic, and generally good. I find it logical and workmanlike.

#4 is an exercise again in minimalistic composition, with an interesting "tiered" approach....and a major,cloud-based diagonal (!! crazy!) in the center...and then the moon upper right, and far off to the side, exerting a lot of visual pull for such a tiny, object! #4 is an interesting exercise in balancing objects of vastly different sizes. I find it clever.

I ALWAYS find your photos interesting to look at. ALWAYS. Never fails.

 

[Designer]

#1 the hole is supposed to balance with the other objects, but it just doesn't, IMO.

#2 the addition of the curving objects does not help it.

#3 has some diagonallity going for it, but that's about all.

#4 almost has a diagonal, but then the poor little moonie is all by its poor little lonesome self way out there in the far corner.

 

[kdthomas]

Thanks @Derrel ... Good input as always ... Pretty much agree re 2nd shot now that I see it again ... I hear that angry family-feud buzzer and see the big red X come up on the screen ... "Black and white hole in the yard, SURRRVEY SAYS:" LOL.

In 4 I was trying a bit of the "steelyard" effect with a big thing toward the center and a small thing way out to one side

 

[Designer]

In 4 I was trying a bit of the "steelyard" effect with a big thing toward the center and a small thing way out to one side

Try it with just the moon and clouds by cropping off the trees in the corner. I'm a big fan of "three things" composition.

I would show you, but, you know, you don't want me to.

 

[kdthomas]

In 4 I was trying a bit of the "steelyard" effect with a big thing toward the center and a small thing way out to one side

Try it with just the moon and clouds by cropping off the trees in the corner. I'm a big fan of "three things" composition.

I would show you, but, you know, you don't want me to.

Well ... okay, but just this once

Seriously, I'd be interested to see your take on it ... I was also considering a square crop like that

 

[Designer]

In 4 I was trying a bit of the "steelyard" effect with a big thing toward the center and a small thing way out to one side

Try it with just the moon and clouds by cropping off the trees in the corner. I'm a big fan of "three things" composition.

I would show you, but, you know, you don't want me to.

Well ... okay, but just this once

Seriously, I'd be interested to see your take on it ... I was also considering a square crop like that

This crop is no particular ratio, but I tried to get as much sky as I could without getting any tree. It really didn't turn out the way I thought it might. But thanks for letting me try.

 

[Derrel]

Thanks ... [B]I hear that angry family-feud buzzer and see the big red X[/B] come up on the screen ... "Black and white hole in the yard, SURRRVEY SAYS:" LOL.

Yessssss! Exactly! The Family Feud buzzer sound: "[I][B]EHHHHHHHHHH!!!"[/B][/I]

 

[ak_]

3) is the best cloud portrait of Scooby-Doo I've ever seen.

 

[ak_]

4) to me is reminiscent of a Van Gogh composition.