Negative space? C&C please

kschalo · Mar 13, 2014

My photo challenge for this week is negative space. I think this works but I'm wondering if there's anything I can do to improve this photo or if it just sucks all around. Thanks.

IMG_4671e by jkschalo, on Flickr

I'm wondering if I should have shot it from a lower angle? Farther away?

tirediron · Mar 13, 2014

I think this works, about 95%. My two (relatively minor) nits are: (1) You're not quite level/square with the backdround, and I would have liked to see the whole table-top. I think the concept is very good.

Derrel · Mar 13, 2014

I might have tried including the entirety of the small table-top or stool. The shadow the tulips cast is interesting. As far as things that could improve it, a really perfect camera alignment, to get the siding verticals "perfect" would have been a great idea. This is a very rigid, formalized type of composition, but the slightly "off" verticals hurt it. But still,overall, it looks like a decent shot, and it's definitely "planned", not an accident. It's a good concept, it really is. I think the camera needed to have been a bit lower, and the back of the camera pulled upward at the top of the back a tiny,tiny bit, to be perfectly squared-up with the siding.

I would re-shoot this as soon as possible, so as to be able to get that cool shadow in more or less the same place.

(Addendum: as I was typing, John zipped off a quick reply which I didn't get to see before I began my reply, but as you can see...the pic is basically a good idea, but needs that perfect squared-up-ness to make it sing.)

tirediron · Mar 13, 2014

Hey Derrel... get outta my head! :lol:

kschalo · Mar 13, 2014

tirediron said:
I think this works, about 95%. My two (relatively minor) nits are: (1) You're not quite level/square with the backdround, and I would have liked to see the whole table-top. I think the concept is very good.

Derrel said:
I might have tried including the entirety of the small table-top or stool. The shadow the tulips cast is interesting. As far as things that could improve it, a really perfect camera alignment, to get the siding verticals "perfect" would have been a great idea. This is a very rigid, formalized type of composition, but the slightly "off" verticals hurt it. But still,overall, it looks like a decent shot, and it's definitely "planned", not an accident. It's a good concept, it really is. I think the camera needed to have been a bit lower, and the back of the camera pulled upward at the top of the back a tiny,tiny bit, to be perfectly squared-up with the siding.

I would re-shoot this as soon as possible, so as to be able to get that cool shadow in more or less the same place.

(Addendum: as I was typing, John zipped off a quick reply which I didn't get to see before I began my reply, but as you can see...the pic is basically a good idea, but needs that perfect squared-up-ness to make it sing.)

I can change the crop to get the whole top of the stool, that's no problem. Straightening the lines of the door are proving harder. I think it's distortion from the 11-16 lens I used. I'll have to wait until tomorrow morning to get the shadows just right again. I'll try lowering the camera as well. So tilting it back will help square up the lines? Is it something I can fix in post?

The_Traveler · Mar 13, 2014

Derrel said:
I might have tried including the entirety of the small table-top or stool. The shadow the tulips cast is interesting. As far as things that could improve it, a really perfect camera alignment, to get the siding verticals "perfect" would have been a great idea. This is a very rigid, formalized type of composition, but the slightly "off" verticals hurt it.

^

tirediron · Mar 13, 2014

kschalo said:
...Is it something I can fix in post?

Possibly if you have Adobe Photoshop, the distortion/perspective correction tool may help, but the best thing you can do is get it right in camera. A shot like this I would do on a tripod, and ensure beforehand that my camera is square to the wall, and level in relation to the lines of nuts in the image.

kschalo · Mar 13, 2014

I have a super old version of elements and it does have a distortion tool that I'm trying to figure out. I did use a tripod and and the lines looked good in the camera. I'll keep working at it.

kschalo · Mar 13, 2014

So if I line up the lines on the door, the bolts are not level and if I line up the bolts, the lines on the door aren't square...Can I just blame it on the door??