Foggy November Night

Hello all. Thanks for interest, comments and words of criticism.
Please look here: http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=16719913&size=lg
Is this version better?

Regards

Michael

Hi, well I'm impressed, and this probably could be the beginning of another 30 posts....Had I have seen these two in the beginning I would have without a doubt chosen this second version. The gate now contributes to the whole image and is no mean interference, the light is accentuated and the whole image is for me perfect, the top right where light and dark fight for control is a masterpiece of mood and aesthetics. The light reflecting off the cobbled stones catches your eye more than the previous version and I find that while I enjoy the whole image and investigate every little corner more than I did the last one I am brought back to the the focal point - the light of the lamp behind the branches.

There are elements of each that I prefer. Overall, the second one definitely resonates with me more, especially because of the deeper values and higher contrast of the cobblestone road, also that more of that road is included in the foreground. The thing I miss most from the original, however, is the perspective, where I feel much more like I am invited onto the road. In the second one, the road is more off to the side so I don't feel as much a part of the scene, rather more of a bystander. I do think the light from the main street lamp is a bit more harmonious in the second one, but I prefer the first. (Yes, that means I like the way the light works in the first one better.) The reason is that the flutter and sparkle of those foreground leaves gets a bit lost in the second one and the main tree branch, though I don't love the way it looks, works better for me as a strong silhouette in the original rather than a softer gray in the 2nd one. Like Chris, though, I do get a much more emotional pull from the 2nd one and, without the comparison, these things I've mentioned probably would not be an issue, but the comparison is before us now, so it's interesting to look at them side by side and notice some important details and how they contribute to the overall effect.

Michael, thank you for this other view. The starburst is stronger and the foreground lamp is now less invaded by the form of the sawed off tree trunk. The presence of the pedestrian path and more of the near cobblestone street, while retaining the fence to the left, is a good choice of view in my opinion and adds to the mood, while the placement of the three lampposts in the frame work nicely in this overall composition. The path adds a suggested human presence and it adds nicely the left side of your image, although I think the highlights on the fence could be advantageously darkened (or as someone else mentioned in the portfolio of this image, removed). I wonder what the effect might be if it was possible in post exposure to try different intensities to a selected portion of the image (namely the strong starburst), while leaving the rest of the image intensity as is. It may be best as is, but it is often fun to experiment with our photos. This sort of thing is why darkroom workers spend hours dodging and burning selected areas of an image before making their final print, while forgetting to put out to the street the family garbage. I am sure that sort of selective treatment can also be done in Photoshop or its equivalent, but my experience there is lacking. A very fine image and an interesting alternative perception.

Thanks Michael for this second version of an interesting scene.

If you by chance have read my first critics of your POW, you will not be surprised, that I find the second version, significantly less interesting. If you are a passionate hunter of starburst light, yes, surely you are served! I don't see the interest apart from as a technical photographical challenge, and yet, seen before, done before, so why bother ?

No, for me, the main interest of the POW, I see in the dreamily atmosphere made by the mastery of the light of the road (even better in the second) and the dark forest frames, by the cloture and eventually by the framing of the lights of the lamppost. However, when the light of the lamppost becomes the main subject matter of the scene, as in the second version, I, at least loose interest.

Clearly the different angle and overall treatment in the new image shifts the dominance to the light source and I feel more comfortable seeing the light source as the subject of the picture.

Whether or not it's "better" will have to wait for another time since that image is not the one under review here.

Even foggy, sharpness can be felt mainly on the light center.Very nice.

I prefer the PoW version - the details showing behind the tree and the lamp post for me detract from the atmosphere. To me, it was perfectly fine being dark there. While the fence on the left and (to some extend) the cobble stones may be a tad nicer in the second photo, as an overall composition, to me it's not better.

perfect light and shadows.