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Was out and about enjoying the sunshine day, and working with the 17-55 (ooooh yeah) and shot this couple enjoying their Sunday together. I quite liked the B&W conversion, but it's not centered - think it adversely affects the outcome? Interested in your opinions:

Personally I prefer the not-centred look and I don't mind the BW conversion either. (What method did you use ?).

Geoff, I just moved my computer a little to the left and it looks perfect

Seriously, it looks good, the off centre subject helps with the rule of thirds thingy..

Geoff,

Frankly I feel it is TOO centred. Panning to the left - even until part of his arm goes out of frame would give the shot far greater depth and a more interesting landscape if I am correct in thinking it is up at Long Reef.

Cheers,

Alpha_7-D70 wrote:Personally I prefer the not-centred look and I don't mind the BW conversion either. (What method did you use ?).

Good question - this is what I call the 'Matt.K method'...changing modes to LAB, splitting the channels and using one of the 3 layers, then adjust levels etc. I'm new to this conversion technique but I do like it.

Sheetshooter wrote:Geoff,

Frankly I feel it is TOO centred. Panning to the left - even until part of his arm goes out of frame would give the shot far greater depth and a more interesting landscape if I am correct in thinking it is up at Long Reef.

Cheers,

very close sheetshooter, it's at Mona Vale, just around the corner on the headland from the hospital, I purposely left the hospital out of the shot, but it's the mona vale golf course that you can see. Appreciate your comments tho.

Hmmm, I tried sheetshooter's suggestion and I like it. It brings the line in the background that goes from top left to middle right out a lot more. (if that makes sense).

Alpha_7-D70 wrote:Hmmm, I tried sheetshooter's suggestion and I like it. It brings the line in the background that goes from top left to middle right out a lot more. (if that makes sense).

Post your changes

I orginally cropped it too tight, and it looked all wrong, I tried again and came up with this.


(Is this what you mean by post changes ?)

I think it brings out the Zig-Zag created by the road and then the hill line.

Alpha_7-D70 wrote:I orginally cropped it too tight, and it looked all wrong, I tried again and came up with this.


(Is this what you mean by post changes ?)

I think it brings out the Zig-Zag created by the road and then the hill line.

Hmm...not sure which one I prefer now, but thanx for your input I lurve this forum.

I prefer the first version maybe for the balance of the shot. It's still a landscape shot of sorts and cropping too narrow takes away from the panorama and adds too much to the couple for me.

They're clearly looking leftish so you want to see what they're looking at which has to stay in shot.

Shame it wasn't a clearer day though.

No worries The more I look at it the more my eyes prefer the orginal as its more standard in dimensions. Glad I could contribute.

paulvdb1 wrote:I prefer the first version maybe for the balance of the shot. It's still a landscape shot of sorts and cropping too narrow takes away from the panorama and adds too much to the couple for me.

They're clearly looking leftish so you want to see what they're looking at which has to stay in shot.

Shame it wasn't a clearer day though.

Thanx Paul, yeah, it was quite hazy indeed!

You worry too much Geoff - that’s one fine pic and the B&W works very well

I agree with Sheetshooter, it's not just a matter of cropping the right side, but to extend the left.
The people are looking to the left so you naturally want to see what they are looking at. At least that's the way I see it.

My slant on this: I think I would have preferred to see a lower perspective with Sheetshooters suggested composition... Line up with their eyes, so that you see what they were seeing???

Gorgeous shot from a gorgeous lens and skilled photographer. I like the B&W conversion, but I'll hop on the bandwagon with everyone else; I'd like to see a little more on the left..well done.

Very nice, Geoff. I think the comp is fine. If I were to crop it, I wouldn't crop more than a little off the right side, not touching the slats of the bench.

Leek raises an interesting point - as he so often does - in suggesting a lower angle to approximate the subjects' P.O.V. (Point Of View).

The decision as to whether or not one attempts to share with the subject or whether to observe the subject like an innocent bystander is one of the variables that need to be considered each and every time we shoot - and is a very good reason why God made rolls of film so long and memory cards so big so that we can try out all the possibilities if we are not sure.

A little bit of information which I had crocheted into my pillow slips many moons ago is this:

Photographing is a capture activity. Get as much as you can exploring every avenue and possibility, keeping in mind that a thousand pictures TOO MANY is far preferable to ONE NOT ENOUGH; and then edit later on the light box, the proof sheet or the screen and select the very best of the very best.

Cheers,

Geoff

in this case the asymetrical composition complements the image.
If the couple were centred I think the image would look too predictable and ordinary, in my opinion

The background looks sharp have you found out the sweetspot fstop for optimal sharpness at infinity on the 17-55DX?

In the early days of the forum, Matt K shared a couple of compositional imperatives with us. There was the infamous "portrait in front of a brick wall" (being a no no), and "Neat and in the middle", flying in face of the rule of thirds and all it's derivations.

With this shot, I think that NAITM would work - how about giving it a go and posting for comparison? (You may need to crop vertically to retain good proportions)

Not centred adds to it... they are looking out into the distance (At long reef)

There have been some great suggestions already, i'll add my 20c worth.

Being off centre doesn't adversly affect the pic but my final crop did centre the couple.

I wasn't overly keen on the cars in the carpark (top left corner) so i cropped them out.

I like the line of the fairway leading off into the distance, it's kinda in the same direction that the couple is looking so i cropped accordingly.

Final thing was the foreground grass, it didn't do much for me with the previous crop so i cropped it out also.

End result.......

I have to say that I like it with the seat and couple in the centre. It looks very solid.

However, it is a good shot either way Geoff.

cheers

 AAAhhhh, yes! Soooo...neat....soooo... centered! All is well in the world as this adorable couple gaze out over the years in peaceful harmony!
Oh.. 10 out of 10!

Wow! What a phenomonal response from the gang here on the forum! Thanx to each and every one of you, I too prefer it now as samester has edited it and put it neat and in the middle. Cheers guys!