Baltesti, 7:28

Beautiful. Great composition, idea, and post processing.

PDE

I really like the light.  If only the camera had been panned to the left so that the horse could be looking and walking into the photo.  I think that simple adjustment would have made the photo more aesthetically pleasing.  It might have eliminated the small amount of flare in the lower right (or it might have only moved the flare to a different part of the photo).

I don't know that there are rules for good photography, but there are guidelines.  Some of the best photos violate those guidelines; the guidelines are not absolutes.  Nevertheless, those guidelines exist because of the general consensus of many, many people who have looked and many, many photographs.  One of the guidelines that I've found to hold most often is to have the main subject looking into or moving into the photo.  Part of the reason for that is because the viewer's eye/mind naturally follows the lead of the main subject; we usually want to know where the subject is going (visually or physically) rather than where it has been.  The area behind the main subject often becomes relatively dead space; it's just not as "active" as the area in front of the main subject.  Yes, there certainly are exceptions, and wonderful ones at that, but they are exactly that:  exceptions.  Most photos do better when they reflect the guideline.  IMO, of course!

i disagree, Stephen. First off having the horse to the right of the frame, while looking to the left, i think would be awkward in itself. You tend to read a picture from left to right - unless you're main language is Hebrew i suppose. Anyway, having the horse to the left, half looking back, is as if to say "i dont know where im going, neither do you...are you coming?". The "leading into the frame" mantra is tried and true and i've utilized it often myself - but i've also broken it, and, IMHO, made those particular pictures better. The current composition also blends together in so many ways. The light play on the ground, and the way the horse's profile "nests" in with the treeline in the background. Just trying to imagine it the other way around, i just feel like it would have negative space, whereas here it feels the space is being used more effectively. Perhaps having the horse to the left removes it as the main point in the photo (since we're "reading" it left to right) allowing the landscape to have a little more prominence. The bit of lens flare "works" here and is very nearly on the 2/3 line in the frame. Lens flare makes sense here - i expect to see it in this photo - not seeing it would suggest manipulation and make it, to my eye, sterile.

curious as to whats going on - on the right hand side of the frame by the treeline? clouds? or some sort of blurring to hide something?...

Dan, I disagree as well, respectfully of course.  While it's true that our culture reads from left to right, that is not an overriding criterion in this case.  I find that just because we read from left to right doesn't always translate into where the main subject should reside.  In fact, if our eyes naturally move from left to right, I'd rather have the main subject on the right; otherwise, the space on the right is relatively dead (i.e., the eyes have already seen the main subject on the left; what more is there to see?).  Also, this horse is not looking back; it is looking ahead and slightly to the left.  It's looking at the edge of the frame.  Panning the camera would not change the position of the horse relative to the background that you like; for me, this is not an important factor in the photo.  This is one case where I feel quite strongly that the aesthetics would be improved if the horse were on the right; i usually don't have strong opinions regarding compositions that others have made, so this is an exception.

Of course, if there is an ugly feature on the left, then Andrei has made a good decision to eliminate it.  But if the trees/shrubs in the background continue to the left, he should have panned to the left.  IMO, of course.

Well this is what makes photography fun. I feel that by having the horse on the left you realize the main subject, but then by the aforementioned cultural left-right, your eye looks to the right but is then brought back to the subject. It takes a little onus off the subject to explore the landscape. I think that on the inverse your eye may get "stuck" on the subject. respectfully,dan.

So, I just wonder how Andrei is handling all of this back and forth.  Next time he'll probably put the main subject squarely in the middle to avoid any conflicting opinions.  Little does he know (perhaps) that will bring out all kinds of opinions regarding "centering."  While I enjoy being out in the field, this "armchair photography" is also interesting and fun.  

Now, let's let Andrei decide about his own photo -- we've given him plenty to think about.

A very beautiful and peaceful image with gorgeous golden light! Very well done. Thank you for sharing. :)