I like this shot alot, and have been thinking about why. Here's what I came up with...
I'm a sucker for lines and shapes, and I really like the idea of a circle (normally thought of as a 'smooth/curved' shape) made up of sharp, straight lines. I also like the sidewalk coming in from the right at 45 degrees and leaving the left at 90...
It also has a nice selection of tones from white to black with most everything between. The shooter most likely read their Ansel Adams :)
I do not care for it. I do not think that "busy" images like this work so well in b&w. I find it hard to grasp the essence of such a picture, it being too much of a mish-mash for me.
Originally posted by myqyl: I like this shot alot, and have been thinking about why. Here's what I came up with...
I'm a sucker for lines and shapes, and I really like the idea of a circle (normally thought of as a 'smooth/curved' shape) made up of sharp, straight lines. I also like the sidewalk coming in from the right at 45 degrees and leaving the left at 90...
It also has a nice selection of tones from white to black with most everything between. The shooter most likely read their Ansel Adams :)
I like the "geometrics" as well, and also the little "curly" things all throughout the plant. But...I would like to have seen what it looked like with the background blacked out completely (maybe with black velvet or something) so that the eye was not distracted from the plant, and the plant leaves/fronds would stand out in sharper detail.
Love the subject. I would have tried to pan out a little and get the whole thing or zoomed in even further (barring I didn't get poked) so that there were no edges. Probably a little cropping would make it so. The shot, as it is, is very good. I think cropping the extra off the sides would really make it something special. I wish I could say I took it, if that means anything to you.
Originally posted by inspzil: I would have tried to pan out a little and get the whole thing or zoomed in even further (barring I didn't get poked) so that there were no edges. Probably a little cropping would make it so.
Thanks everyone, there are some good ideas here. I would like to reshoot this sometime.
This was taken with a Yashica T4 Super with a fixed 35mm lens, on Christmas day at the Tucson Desert Museum. The camera was a gift from me to my wife. This was the only picture I took of this plant, and I was quite happy with the results, but there is room for improvement. I have a nice 28mm lens for my Contax that would work well, as well a setting the plant a little more off center.
