Ironically, given that composition is one of the few variables you have 100% control of in minimal editing rules there is a predomience of centered framing of the main subject in most of the submissions.
That just seems odd.
Comments or other observations anyone have about how images submitted under minimal editing rules differ from other rule sets?
Ironically, given that composition is one of the few variables you have 100% control of in minimal editing rules there is a predomience of centered framing of the main subject in most of the submissions.
That just seems odd.
Comments or other observations anyone have about how images submitted under minimal editing rules differ from other rule sets?
I have not noticed, but, again, as I keep saying...forethought is part of photography.
Ironically, given that composition is one of the few variables you have 100% control of in minimal editing rules there is a predomience of centered framing of the main subject in most of the submissions.
Ironically, given that composition is one of the few variables you have 100% control of in minimal editing rules there is a predomience of centered framing of the main subject in most of the submissions.
That just seems odd.
Comments or other observations anyone have about how images submitted under minimal editing rules differ from other rule sets?
Not giving much, if any, cosideration to the backgroung; I say.
Ironically, given that composition is one of the few variables you have 100% control of in minimal editing rules there is a predomience of centered framing of the main subject in most of the submissions.
That just seems odd.
... we are too used to crop!!!
I am personally not a cropping person. I only crop to get an image in the right aspect ratio (to print 8x10's and such), or in special circumstances. My Bicycles photo was cropped, because I could not look through the viewfinder at the time.
Not giving much, if any, cosideration to the backgroung; I say.
The insect challenge might not be the best indicator of that being common to minimal editing rules. When you're working with a live creature you don't always have the choice of backgrounds, and I think some of us had the choice of good bug/poorer background or vice versa.
Challenges where we actually have full control over all the details may have different results :)
Or maybe the centered composition was intentional. Rules are made to be broken, especially when they are just rules of thumb. I like centered compositions, and use them fairly regularly. Whenever I enter one, I can count on a couple comments "reminding" me to place the subject off center. LOL.
I'd agree that maybe a bug challenge isn't the best place to judge composition. I'm sure a lot of people were just trying to get that little moving critter to stay still long enough to get the shot. Centering it would seem the best way to accomplish that.
I doubt the zoo would have let me stick their butterflies in the fridge for a few minutes to slow them down, no matter how good my intentions were.
When I shoot macro I always have the subject centered. Then I crop to make it off center. But was unable to do that in minimal editing. Sometimes center works sometimes it doesn't.
Using the center focus mark is much easier when sneaking up on a bug. It's easier to compensate either way if adjustments are needed.
Originally posted by annpatt:
I'd agree that maybe a bug challenge isn't the best place to judge composition. I'm sure a lot of people were just trying to get that little moving critter to stay still long enough to get the shot. Centering it would seem the best way to accomplish that.
I doubt the zoo would have let me stick their butterflies in the fridge for a few minutes to slow them down, no matter how good my intentions were.
The insect challenge might not be the best indicator of that being common to minimal editing rules. When you're working with a live creature you don't always have the choice of backgrounds, and I think some of us had the choice of good bug/poorer background or vice versa.
Challenges where we actually have full control over all the details may have different results :)
Good point. I was going to go look at other 'minimal' editing challenges to see if this was common in them but could not remember which ones they were.
I'd agree that maybe a bug challenge isn't the best place to judge composition. I'm sure a lot of people were just trying to get that little moving critter to stay still long enough to get the shot. Centering it would seem the best way to accomplish that.
Or in my case just relying on the law of averages; I had practically no control over composition when I was shooting because the bugs were in constant motion. I ended up with quite a few usable shots, and how "off" the composition was ended up being a major factor in deciding which to enter. I would definitely have entered one of the others if I was allowed to crop!
The insect challenge might not be the best indicator of that being common to minimal editing rules. When you're working with a live creature you don't always have the choice of backgrounds, and I think some of us had the choice of good bug/poorer background or vice versa.
Challenges where we actually have full control over all the details may have different results :)
Good point. I was going to go look at other 'minimal' editing challenges to see if this was common in them but could not remember which ones they were.
The insect challenge might not be the best indicator of that being common to minimal editing rules. When you're working with a live creature you don't always have the choice of backgrounds, and I think some of us had the choice of good bug/poorer background or vice versa.
Challenges where we actually have full control over all the details may have different results :)
Agreed... looked at the Trees and Minimalism II challenges and center framing was not the norm. Gotta be, as you say, that bugs are hard to capture so you take the framing you can get when it's under minimal rules.
I focused then moved the camera as I'm not usually a fan of centered subject ALTHOUGH it sometimes really makes a shot impactful. If I just could have removed some legs too.
Yours is one of the better composed images in the challenge. After looking at other Minimal rules challenges I discovered, as was pointed out by others, that centered framing in this one likely results from shooting insects. You normally take what you can get and might not get a second chance.
For composition, which is one of the few controls you are allowed in minimal editing, insects might not be the best subject choice.
But it is easy to be a Monday morning quarterback. LOL!
I focused then moved the camera as I'm not usually a fan of centered subject ALTHOUGH it sometimes really makes a shot impactful. If I just could have removed some legs too.
Hey Jutilda - yours was one of my faves of the challenge and the off centeredness really had good impact. I tried hard with all my shots that day to not have a centered subject (though if you look at most of my high scoring entries they are centered).
I went out and caught this guy in a pond and then brought him home and let him skip around in an aquarium. That way I knew I could keep trying to get pictures and didn't have to worry quite as much about "getting the shot". That helped in allowing an off-centered subject.
For composition, which is one of the few controls you are allowed in minimal editing, insects might not be the best subject choice.
That's what made it a "challenge" -- one which a lot of people met admirably. I took the constraints of the Minimal rule set into account as I evaluated the photos.
I didn't enter, but for me, if i am using autofocus, I tend to put the subject on the center dot (or one of the others), otherwise, that spot is in focus and the rest is not. or something like that.
Ironically, given that composition is one of the few variables you have 100% control of in minimal editing rules there is a predomience of centered framing of the main subject in most of the submissions.
That just seems odd.
Comments or other observations anyone have about how images submitted under minimal editing rules differ from other rule sets?
You do realize that there are currently three centered compositions with ribbons on the front page? Two insects, one night shot.
