Straight tractor, crooked light?

MK3Brent · Jun 5, 2012

One of those dang shots that look great on the LCD in the middle of the night, then you realize in post your light is crooked?!

What would you do?
Adjust tilt for the tractor?
Adjust for the light?

Compaq · Jun 6, 2012

What, you're considering straightening it with regard to the edge line of the light?

In 99.9999% of the times, I'd probably straighten for the horizon (tractor). Crooked light has never bothered me, and I've never given it thought until I read this

MK3Brent · Jun 6, 2012

I was considering an adjustment brush layer, with -1 or -2 stops to round off the light.
If I round it off, maybe it won't look so directional.

I'll give that a try tonight.

daarksun · Jul 5, 2012

the light looks awesome like it is not being parallel to the shot itself. I think it add to the feel of the overall image. Great job! The color saturation and composition is right on. This is a photo I could see in agricultural magazine for Ford selling their tractors.

MK3Brent · Jul 5, 2012

I appreciate the kind words.

I typically get pegged for pulling out too much saturation in post, so I'm glad to get confirmation on the colors. Thank-you.

WesternGuy · Jul 6, 2012

I think it is a neat image and I think I would leave it pretty well as is. The light on the tractor is interesting, at least for me, because it sort of looks like it is a spot light. As daarksun has said - it looks like it would be a good image for a Ford tractor ad.
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WesternGuy

rokvi · Jul 6, 2012

The only thing I would say would be to have the Tractor more to the left, to give it room to move. So to speak.

MK3Brent · Jul 6, 2012

Center the tractor as opposed to the thirds?

Joel_W · Jul 6, 2012

I kind of like it myself. I would suggest a slight crop from the left side, as the light really falls off compared to the shorter right side.

kundalini · Jul 6, 2012

MK3Brent said:
Center the tractor as opposed to the thirds?

It's the wrong "thirds", so yes, try centering it with a square crop. Otherwise, a 20x16 crop rather than a 24x16 crop.

Who knows until you try?

MK3Brent · Jul 6, 2012

kundalini said:
MK3Brent said:

Center the tractor as opposed to the thirds?

Click to expand...

It's the wrong "thirds", so yes, try centering it with a square crop. Otherwise, a 20x16 crop rather than a 24x16 crop.

Who knows until you try?

Please explain "wrong thirds" to me please?

kundalini · Jul 6, 2012

MK3Brent said:
Please explain "wrong thirds" to me please?

There are nine power points in the rule of thirds. Your original had the subject in the top right thirds position. Are you sure that is the best position?

Here we go..... your original

Where is your subject within the frame? Where is it going, what is it doing?

IMO, by shifting the subjects position within the frame, a separate dynamics presents itself. Just my 2¢

fiirmoth · Jul 7, 2012

I like it as is.

MK3Brent · Jul 7, 2012

Thank-you for taking the energy to post a crop.
I see what you're saying now.

daarksun · Jul 8, 2012

Avoid that kind of crop. If you do that it's about the tractor only and not the overall beauty of the image. The object of the photograph most of the time does not look good as the center of the image. Sometimes even the rule of thirds is crap. It's about the overall image and does the composition work. In the original image the tractor position is perfect as is the amount of light coming through across from right to left. Even the sky and the dark grass running across the bottom shows the tractor in it's domain. Even an old blue ford tractor can be beautiful. Great shot. I really like it. Personally I wouldn't mess with it.