Show Us Your Greatest Composition

krötenblender said:
Pretty images are not enough for the topic of this thread (and possibly not even needed). It's about composition.
Click to expand...

+1

I see lots of great images, but was really hoping to hear what the photographers liked about their shots and why they composed the way they did. I tried to add a bit of a description to my contribution, hope that's what the OP had in mind.
 
Wow. Just WOW. The sense of space around the trees and bench really work here. The tone is perfect, and the ratio of the size of the trees Vs the bench is splendid.

This should be printed as large as it can be done!

Fantastic image in a thread full of high quality shots guys.

Landberg said:
4284530191_3e9a9058c5_z.jpg
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Difficult, but this is what comes to mind with the topic. I'm not so sure about conscious design, maybe favoring the idea of intuition at the moment. Here the patterns of light and angles, some edge tension...

U77I1363073624.SEQ.1.jpg
 
Doug said:
Difficult, but this is what comes to mind with the topic. I'm not so sure about conscious design, maybe favoring the idea of intuition at the moment. Here the patterns of light and angles, some edge tension...
Click to expand...

I did not say anything about conscious design, but I think, I can see what you mean with the patterns of light. They are very sharp "cuts" into an otherwise very common scene. The harsh light cut making the difference. - Intuition at the moment of picture taking is not a contradiction to the conscious act later: keeping that image instead of throwing it away and selecting it for its composition.

Also I think, the square format is a good framing for the scene.
 
krötenblender said:
I did not say anything about conscious design, but I think, I can see what you mean with the patterns of light. They are very sharp "cuts" into an otherwise very common scene. The harsh light cut making the difference. - Intuition at the moment of picture taking is not a contradiction to the conscious act later: keeping that image instead of throwing it away and selecting it for its composition.

Also I think, the square format is a good framing for the scene.
Click to expand...
Thanks, yes, I agree with your comment. I guess I was trying to express a distinction between seeing compositional elements consciously before the exposure (which I do, too) versus seeing something intriguing and just going with the intuition (which seems more usual). This opportune shot initially pulled me in as part of a "people at work" project, with the coinciding angles handled subconsciously. The recognition of something more happened later, these pleasant surprises being part of the fun of photography. Also, it was cropped on the right from a more rectangular proportion. 🙂
 
Cheryl asleep against a surf boat, 1978 Australian National Surf Life Saving Titles, Kingscliff NSW
U27021I1365860092.SEQ.0.jpg

This is the composition I'm most pleased about. Shot on Kodachrome 25 with an OM-1. I saw Cheryl, one of the girls in the surf club I belonged to, had fallen asleep in the sun against one of our club's surf boats. There had been lots of partying the night before and most of us were feeling a little wasted. In the background, other boat race competitors were leaning against their boat after competing in a surf boat race. I grabbed my Zuiko 200mm f4 and framed it so the boat crew in the background would be out of focus. I had to work quickly as I didn't know how long they would hold that position. I got the photo at maximum aperture, and felt that it would be a good one. As it turned out, it was one of the best pictures I've ever taken. The original Kodachrome transparency is still in good condition.
 
Hey everyone, thanks for posting in my thread.

xia_ke said:
+1

I see lots of great images, but was really hoping to hear what the photographers liked about their shots and why they composed the way they did. I tried to add a bit of a description to my contribution, hope that's what the OP had in mind.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I have enjoyed looking at these photographs. Some I immediately relate to, but I find others less clear. We all perceive and intuit the same image slightly differently, and I think in some cases I just do not see the value that the author does. In those cases, the description is invaluable.

Perhaps those who have already posted can edit their post with more information, a 'defense' of their choice essentially. I think this is important in helping to refine our sight... in a nutshell the reason I started this thread.
 
gilgsn - really cool, reminds me of robert frank
arseniii - this is so classic, reminds me of later pictorial photography. Works despite breaking a major 'rule' of having a bright line cutting the middle of the frame.

Those two are my favorite so far, but several others are right on their heels.



When I am trying to examine a photo's composition, I have found it's extremely helpful to do these three things:

1. reduce my browser 'zoom' function, if necessary, so the picture is fairly small. This allows one to examine the balance of the image as a whole. It always seems like good compositions look even better when you shrink them.

2. rotate the photo. Usually a good composition will hold in an abstract sense even if the photo is on its side or upside down. Sometimes not always quite as well though.

3. defocus my eyes. This is hard to explain, but if you kind of stare blankly at the center of the image without focusing on any detail, the whole stands out better, making it easier to weigh the abstracted elements of the image against one another.

These seem like dumb optical tricks, but I come back to them over and over when considering photos formally. Anyone else find these strategies useful?
 
Lynn... fancying myself a long-time "Parrotthead in exile," this image connotes the beach lifestyle better than just about any other I've ever seen: "Boat, Beaches, Bars & Ballads," and it effortlessly combines my favorite themes; boats, beaches, and beautiful women. Well done!

lynnb said:
Cheryl asleep against a surf boat, 1978 Australian National Surf Life Saving Titles, Kingscliff NSW
U27021I1365860092.SEQ.0.jpg

This is the composition I'm most pleased about. Shot on Kodachrome 25 with an OM-1. I saw Cheryl, one of the girls in the surf club I belonged to, had fallen asleep in the sun against one of our club's surf boats. There had been lots of partying the night before and most of us were feeling a little wasted. In the background, other boat race competitors were leaning against their boat after competing in a surf boat race. I grabbed my Zuiko 200mm f4 and framed it so the boat crew in the background would be out of focus. I had to work quickly as I didn't know how long they would hold that position. I got the photo at maximum aperture, and felt that it would be a good one. As it turned out, it was one of the best pictures I've ever taken. The original Kodachrome transparency is still in good condition.
Click to expand...
 
benji77 said:
Wow. Just WOW. The sense of space around the trees and bench really work here. The tone is perfect, and the ratio of the size of the trees Vs the bench is splendid.

This should be printed as large as it can be done!

Fantastic image in a thread full of high quality shots guys.
Click to expand...

Thank you! 😉
 
I like this, a dynamic shot of kids enjoying youth...the boat tilting as kids prepare to dive and a bit of room to the right. Might have been better with a bit wider lens to show more environment nevertheless this is one of my favorite.

RB-3editres-L.jpg
 
This shot was taken shortly before 9/11. It's entitled "Huddled Masses", taken on the ferry to Ellis Is. What I like is the stark separation of foreground and background. Part of my "Street" effort, except that this is on on the water. Hexar RF, Hexanon 50mm.

original.jpg
 
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