Victorian Porch (enlargeable)

Thoughts on composition?

Interesting, like a procession of Cambodian dancers. At first I thought a bit more contrast might be needed but now I think I'd leave it just as it is.

Hi Jim,

 

Thanks for sharing. So your question is to the composition. For me, a primary purpose for composition is to tell the viewer what to look at. What is the story or intent of the image. The issue with this image is that i don't think you've got a clear message for the viewer. There isn't a primary visual clue to say: "look at these column details", "look at the way the architect complimented the colors or forms with the environment" or "look at how the fauna and man-made connect/contrast". So how could you improve this image to have more clear vision? First, i think if you had shot a bit wider (and from a higher vantage point), we could get more contextual clues as the building's purpose. However, I think the details on this are much more interesting. The two foremost columns on the right should be the visual focus point so first thing would be to crop away all that does not add to the image (the fauna on the bottom and the background columns on the left...this would make it more portrait orientation. The next thing i would do is sharpen it. There is a lot of texture and detail on the columns, but they are a bit lost. The overall focus is too soft, there's no crisp landing point for the eye to start or be directed towards. If you had been standing closer and used a much lower aperture, you could have used a shallow depth of field to separate the foreground from the background with bokeh. Also, the colors seem to be muted that also takes away from the form. I wasn't the first to say it, but have often repeated it: "in photography, color is about color. Black and white is about everything else." This image is (in not a negative way) nearly monochromatic, to highlight the forms, it may be better to go all-in and subtract all color. Finally, i would work on the exposure, i think that if you looked at the histogram, you'd see that there is very little information on the left and right of the scale. Try playing with Levels or Curves to increase the dynamic range of the image.

 

I hope this helps!

--PatrickD

Patrick,

Thanks for the detailed evaluation and helpful suggestion. You caused a light to go on for me about some dynamic range issues. 

This mansion sits at the top of a hill in Eureka, California. It is now a private club. Tourists and photographers must stand at street level outside a fence that is well below and 50 yards from this porch. In my brief visit to Eureka, I could not find an unobstructed high point that would allow me to shoot down on the complex. 

Jim