Project 2 - response to comment

After reading Jeremy's comment on the two images from below on the previous post I could see where he was coming from. The eye was led into the picture by the path but drawn away by the tree. In order to try and alter that effect I have cropped both images so that there is less foreground and the tree, whilst still fairly dominant, doesn't draw the eye so much - rather it forms a doorway into the image.

Here again a tree is dominant in the foreground of the image. In the landscape shot I wonder if the tree still distracts the eye. I do like the way that the hedge leads the eye into the picture and the trees becomming smaller empasises the perspective. I also like the way the clouds recede into the distance.

After looking at the two images above and writing my comments, I decided to crop the landscape version to remove some of the foreground and bring the tree forward. In doing so I have lost some of the sky. I will now try a crop just from the bottom.

Now I prefer the image as I have retained all of the sky.

In these two images I prefer the portrait one as the landscape version includes two much of the side drain.

In conclusion, whilst much can be done by cropping an image in post processing, it is more productive to try and get this right in camera. Using a tripod does slow me down and helps with this. It also allows me to use a spirit level to ensure that horizons are level - not something I am good at with hand held shooting.

Project 2: horizontal vs vertical

Personally I think that both landscape and protrait formats work. In fact I find many situations when I prefer portraits shots. The work well when rivers or marshlad drains lead into an image, with trees and towers and even with fences and roads leading into a picture.



Here I think that I prefer the landscape format as it gives more space for the tree to 'breathe'. The receding storm clouds save the sky from being bland.

Here I think that the portrait shot works better. The tree gives foreground interest and the path leads the eye into the picture. The same could be said of the landscape shot but I don't feel the crop of elephant grass adds anything to the image.

I took these two images at first light on the top of the scarp slope of the northern Lincolshire Wolds looking from above the village of Worlaby down to the valley of the river Ancholme. I think that the view perhaps suits a landscape format better but the portrait shot works because it helps to focus on Carr Lane the road running into the shot. The road leads the eye into the picture.

I took these two images of the same tree as featured in Project 1. I think that both work in their own way. The portrait imahe perhaps suits the tree more but the landscape image gives more space around the tree. In both shots I have placed the tree and the horizon on 'thirds'.