'Lesson'-effect of different composition & filters

dinneenp

Hi,
This is meant to be an example of how to try to look 'freshly' and think when taking a photo instead of taking a standard photo.
It's aimed more for beginners, I took the idea from someone else who recently posted here a thread about sharing some knowledge (I forget what the topic was).

I was wandering around Galway taking some photos today and took a few of a stationary train at the train station.

My first photo was the obvious 'standard' photo (1). I then thought how could I improve the photo. So I took a few at different angles/compositions, 2 and 3.
A simple change but gives a very different photo I think, makes it a bit dramatic.
For the filters I applied a 'black and white' and then 'cross process' filter in Picasa 3 (photo 4).
For photo 5 I applied a 'focal black and white' and then 'cross
process' filter.
Out of the five I think photo 4 is my favourite.

1.

Galway Train normal composition by Photoblog.ie (Patrick Dinneen), on Flickr

2.

Galway Train Station 2 by Photoblog.ie (Patrick Dinneen), on Flickr

3.

Galway Train Station train 3 by Photoblog.ie (Patrick Dinneen), on Flickr

4.

Galway Train Station 4 by Photoblog.ie (Patrick Dinneen), on Flickr

5.

Galway Train Station Train 5 by Photoblog.ie (Patrick Dinneen), on Flickr

Cheers,
Pa

Promac

A good exercise!

dinneenp

Exercise is probably a better word than lesson. But I wanted to use a word that would make people loook at the thread, I created it late last night so my brain was 1/2 shut down.

ImagenEstilo

It's an interesting one this. Personally, when shooting anything other than people I think it a good idea to compose differently as you have shown above. However, when people are concerned, the general concensus when taking portraits, wedding shots etc is that you keep the horizon level. Taking skewed photos they say is a beginner mistake (they also say white vignettes are a beginner mistake which I don't agree wtih either).

The jury is out on this to be honest. It would be interesting to hear what other people had to say on this.

Steve Reddin

It's an interesting exercise and maybe could make people less fearful of alternative composition. I'd like to see it brought a step further, how more extreme angles, camera height etc could be mixed with strong depth of field to make some unique images.

@ ImagenEstilo, I'm not sure skewed horizons as such are seen as beginners' mistake but when someone unintentionally slants the horizon a small amount, less than 5 degrees or so, it's often quite distracting and that's a mistake and probably more what's being referred to.

Ben D Bus

ImagenEstilo wrote: »

they also say white vignettes are a beginner mistake which I don't agree wtih either

I find white vignettes to be very, very cheesy.

And slanted images are often a last ditch attempt to make an uninteresting photograph interesting. I think that may be the beginner mistake, rather than the tilt itself. The beginner lesson should be to recognise the duds and drop them rather than try to fix them.

ImagenEstilo

Ben D Bus wrote: »

I find white vignettes to be very, very cheesy.

And slanted images are often a last ditch attempt to make an uninteresting photograph interesting. I think that may be the beginner mistake, rather than the tilt itself. The beginner lesson should be to recognise the duds and drop them rather than try to fix them.

I've used white vignettes on B&W's to good effect. Obviously not on color.

You have summed it up on the slanting however and that is exactly how I would perceive it. You simply cannot make a poor photo good by skewing the composition.

Dave