Rick, it was one of those "right place, right time" deals. I was a ways behind him and thought "that would be a cool picture". It was very overcast that day with occasional fog so the lighting conditions were what Nature had at that moment. I was not trying to convey anything but after I saw it it seemed to show me how insignificant we all are in the universe. At least to me......it might not be that way for anyone else. It was the only one I took.

Yes, I figured so. Sometimes those are the "best" shots. But I wanted to demonstrate that there is a lot we could be thinking about when we take photos, rather than just clicking the shutter. I want to encourage everyone to take a few seconds (if there is time) to think about what that one dimensional image might turn out to be.

Leftwood said:

If I may be a bit critical:

The overall photo has a lot of potential for conceptual building. It's a great pic, but I think it really misses the mark that it could be. In this kind of photo, the composition is very critical. For me, as is, it is very static compared to what I think it could be. I do like that the person takes up very little real estate in the pic. If you blow up the photo for a pic on the wall, I think you will be wishing he was even smaller!

If your real purpose is to convey mankind being so small in nature, then I suppose it's OK. But aesthetically, it is still jarring to me that the person is in the exact, exact center of the image. As is, he is still the focal point, and if you want the grandeur of nature to be the focus, he needs to be smaller yet. Then the motion of the waves would be forefront and the vastness accentuated.

Getting back to my static comment, I rarely follow the rule of two-thirds to the letter, but the approach is well founded, and its purpose should always be in the back of every photographer's mind. Think for a moment, how the picture story changes if the person was off-center to the front left: he would be entering the pic, providing your imagination to build from there. Placed in the upper right, he would be leaving the scene, providing a different scenario.

This is an unusual pic where shadows would mostly likely work against you. Unless you are shooting into the sun, the direction of a prominent shadow would be off-kilter, and likely ruin the composition. As your photo is, you found the correct light environment that would not show shadows.

Even better than that, what we are seeing as a "shadow" is actually a reflection. It will always orient between you and the subject, from whatever position you choose to snap the photo. The reflection accentuates movement and becomes part of the story telling. Be aware, however, that although this orientation usually works in your favor, sometimes it doesn't. That orientation caused a viewer's eye to move in said direction, and if that is the direction you want, than perfect! If, for instance, the man is in the upper right of the photo as you snap the shot, the reflection would be skewed toward the center of the photo (where you as the photographer are) rather than directly behind the man, If you want him walking away from you, the photographer, then perfect! If you want the reflection to be directly behind him, then you, the photographer must be directly behind him, and crop the photo afterwards.

Obviously, the farther away the subject is, the less prominent this reflection off-kilter will be. At the distance in your photo, I'm not sure it would make a difference. If you had take a photo of your husband with him already in the upper right, it would show the reflection pointing to you, as the photographer. If you did take that shot, why don't you post it so we can all see?

After all, Dave explicitly created this forum to learn photography, and NOT to just show pretty pictures.

I am trying to learn, so I cropped the screen-shot image two ways. The first cropping makes the ocean look intriguingly sinister to me, with the waves in the foreground threatening the walker:


The second cropping was less interesting because too much water was eliminated:

Even though they are the same photo, one can see how the compositions makes two completely different pictures!

I like the water one better than the sand one but i like mine best. Just the sand was kinda blah.

AnnaZ said:I like the water one better than the sand one but i like mine best. Just the sand was kinda blah.

Anna, I like yours best too! I can see it as a metaphor for a life that successfully balances the danger and unpredictability of the sea with the safety and security of the shore.

you are a good sport Anna!

here's how I'd do it--or something like this, if I were in your spot

Cell phone snapshot:

My therapy from the real world.

I need to make sure my pants have pockets to hold my phone for outdoor shots. Never know what will come by.

Just letting you all know that this thread has now been moved to the Sandbox. For more information, please see The thread "Forum Announcements" in Photography Tips & Techniques forum.