Too symetrical?

Was wandering around my new city, exploring and at the same time looking for shots, mostly abstracts. Came upon the side of this building and was caught by the strong geometricness (a word?) of the pieces and the strong lines created by the shadows. The shot was 2:3 and this is 3:4, the right side was cropped down because I felt the back and white boards were too dominant. But now I'm not sure if this result is too symmetrical. Add some of the black/white boards to the right side? I don't want to reduce the red boards on the left side.

Any thoughts welcome,

Thanks,

Jim

geometricness (a word?)

No, not a word. But it gets the point across and made up words can be more expressive sometimes than those found in a dictionary.

 

If anything, you'd want to say geometricality, but that's not a word either.

 

The word you're looking for is, believe it or not, geometry ... "Came upon the side of this building and was caught by the strong geometry of the pieces and the strong lines created by the shadows."

 

Occam's razor applies in this case! :)

 

Still, I'd stick with geometricness. It's just eccentric enough to catch the ear.

 

[sorry, no thoughts on your questions about the photo. You're on your own on that one.]

I can only say that I really like your photo, though I don't usually like abstracts. IMHO this is a very dynamic abstract. It has a clear association between colored forms that are independent of the 'shape' of those forms. The photo has both harmony and (a lot of) variation. You have a wonderful "eye" and this is IMHO a photo to be proud of. At least, I would be proud of it!

 

IMHO, the question of 'symmetry'(or not) is of much lesser importance. Sometimes symmetry adds to a photo, sometimes it detracts from itr and sometimes it doesn't matter so much.

 

So @jpalmer57, I truly think that it's wonderful that you're a member here and ask for critique. This is the first time I've ever done this but FWIW I suspect that you may be a very talented photographer. Send me a PM.

 

Mike

As the Kaiser supposedly told Mozart, "Too many notes."

 

I like the image, all the same; but there are more distractions than unifying elements, at least for me.

I like this, but feel like the whole right side dominates unnecessarily, The colors and lines of the clapboard siding are kinda fabulous, and I really like the rectangle of plywood mounted to the left of the B&W wall sections. I wouldn't say it's too symmetrical at all, if anything it seems asymmetrical with the two dominant expanses of black and white.

samstevens - thanks for info on 'geometry', I thought of 'geometry' but it seemed like it didn't convey my feeling of the degree of how geometric the pieces appear. But I do like 'geometricality'. Thanks.

 

mikemorrell and Ricochetrider - thanks for your comments. I ask about the symmetry not because I'm trying to make it symmetrical but I was trying to split the image in two to have one side (the right) simple but strong (black and white boards) and the other side more complex with a smaller board but repeating some of the colors from the right side and adding the red color, lines, and shapes of the lapboards. And the weathering of the bottom board. Ricochetrider, you have touched on what I think I'm feeling, that even thought the right side is almost exactly the same width as the left, does it 'feel' like there's more of it? Mostly due to the large space of white?

Ah, Well you've succeeded marvelously in splitting the image! Congrats on that note. But yes, I think we are seeing the same thing. The 2 large patches, even tho in theory are the same relative size as the left side of the image, do dominate, probably due to being two overlarge spaces in very different and strong single colors, black and white.

 

I think as stated the left side of the shot has far more likable character, in its coloring and texture. Not sure if this is anything you can get back to but it might be worth exploring some more

 

As said by others, the left side is more interesting than the right. So, I would crop it for vertical (portrait) dimensions.

[ATTACH=full]1328198[/ATTACH]

 

As said by others, the left side is more interesting than the right. So, I would crop it for vertical (portrait) dimensions.

 

I prefer the contrasting halves of the original. The strong line, right down the middle, emphasizes a paradox.

I like this, but feel like the whole right side dominates unnecessarily, The colors and lines of the clapboard siding are kinda fabulous, and I really like the rectangle of plywood mounted to the left of the B&W wall sections. I wouldn't say it's too symmetrical at all, if anything it seems asymmetrical with the two dominant expanses of black and white.

 

Ricochet, first to address the question in the OP, I have little concern about the symmetry. Although at first sight one might be temped to think that, comparing the top half with the bottom, or the left side with the right, the geometry is too similar. This doesn't take into account the detail in my opinion. Each quadrant has different small components with a variety of textures. This applies primarily to the two black areas. Taking a close look at the wood patterns in both shows the asymmetry. My only suggestion is possibly to introduce some highlights into the upper right.

I took the liberty of cropping the image to produce only the upper right black area. Hopefully this illustrates my suggestion, above.

 

 

I took the liberty of cropping the image to produce only the upper right black area. Hopefully this illustrates my suggestion, above.

 

 

[ATTACH=full]1329674[/ATTACH]

 

I guess that my visual suggestion wasn't well received.

Thanks everyone for all the very good comments. I did, as someone suggested, go back to the location (although the light was different - isn't always) to try to shoot more of the red wall on the left.

 

And even remove the two large boards on the right.

 

But the first of these two, to me, removes the contrast between the two halves of the original image that is what I felt. And the second is a different image altogether.

Again, thank you for your comments and suggestions. This has been a very interesting, and beneficial, experience.

 

Of course, I will welcome any and all additional comments.

 

Thanks,

Jim

Jim, I find myself wondering what's to the right of the two large panels? I guess I'm asking if there's a way to back up and get it all. Explore the larger context. Sometimes I've found with my digital images that I can get that tighter final image with a bit of cropping.

 

Just kind of thinking out loud.

This is the whole of this part of the building's wall. To the view's right (past the large plywood panels) is the corner of the building - so, nothing. To the viewer's left (past the red painted boards) is brick wall. This image is a composite to show the whole section. Below is (mostly crumbling) the concrete foundation and above is the edge of a concrete floor. In this view the small plywood panel is about in the center of the section but the greater 'weight' of the black & white panels makes to whole thing out of balance. To my thinking. There are obviously many other croppings that could be done. I'm always open to suggestions.

Thanks everyone for all the very good comments. I did, as someone suggested, go back to the location (although the light was different - isn't always) to try to shoot more of the red wall on the left.

[ATTACH=full]1329934[/ATTACH]

 

And even remove the two large boards on the right.

[ATTACH=full]1329935[/ATTACH]

 

But the first of these two, to me, removes the contrast between the two halves of the original image that is what I felt. And the second is a different image altogether.

Again, thank you for your comments and suggestions. This has been a very interesting, and beneficial, experience.

 

Of course, I will welcome any and all additional comments.

 

Thanks,

Jim

The second one here is my favorite overall. The varying paint textures in the large red area are very interesting, balanced with the dark panel to the right. This one and the very first posts are my two favorites and seem like entirely different images.