The Red Chairs

[Marko]

Please comment/critique and I'd like to know which is better with or w/out the hat - many thanks!

[djKianoosh]

easily with the hat is better. :) i don't know. it just has more character.

[kat]

With 100%! Definately adds character!

[Ben H]

I'd take option C.

Lose the house in the background.
I don't care about the hat, either way... :)

[Mad Aussie]

You're going to ruin those chairs Marko! :eek:

I'd be more worried about that sky (if you are like me you have a few nice skies set aside for just such an occassion) than the hat.

However, I do vote for the hat over the skin solar panel ;)

[EJC]

The hat photo is more upbeat. Face looking up, coat is tidy and the hands are neatly laced. The other is melancholy, down cast face and eyes and mussed up coat. Great emotion modeling!

cheers EJC

[tomorrowstreasures]

i love the story potential the one with out the hat has... the expression is awesome. i think you could easily take the images and create an awesome piece of story art in ps...

[Marko]

Thanks everyone. There is a personal back story to the entire scene. The chairs' time had come and I needed to photograph them (with me in them) before they were discarded. I may well blog the photo and if i do I'll add a link here.

Thanks everyone,
M

[mindforge]

With the hat, without the house. I think the house in the background steals from the image. It might reduce your sentimental value, but if you get the chairs in the middle of a road or something that might be cool.

[Marko]

With the hat, without the house. I think the house in the background steals from the image. It might reduce your sentimental value, but if you get the chairs in the middle of a road or something that might be cool.

Appreciate the straight-talk mindforge. I agree on the coolness aspect of the chairs in the middle of the road. This was a personal shot so the house needed to be there for my purposes alone.. and I agree it is a distraction.
Thx - M

[mindforge]

Appreciate the straight-talk mindforge. I agree on the coolness aspect of the chairs in the middle of the road. This was a personal shot so the house needed to be there for my purposes alone.. and I agree it is a distraction.
Thx - M

I pretty much figured that the house was a necessity for the image. Years from now, if you did it the way I suggest you might say "Man, I wish I had the house in the shot." Who knows.

[Michael Van der Tol]

Hi Marko,

I like the hat-in shot. One other extemporaneous question for you - Do you think this shot would have looked better as a square crop? Just curious? I don't know what was out side the frame, but would be interested in knowing your thoughts?

Regards,

MikeV

[Marko]

I think it WOULD have looked good as a square shot, had I cropped out the house in the vertical shot.

Had I made the shot horizontal and cropped square....hmm maybe, but maybe the house and chairs would have appeared too small.

I guess all shots can be artful and personal, but for this shot, the personal was more important (for me) and I had to have the house (my dad's house) in the shot.

Even though most people think the hat shot is better (and I agree artistically), the hatless shot reflects my feelings and mood for the shot MUCH better. It is indeed a sad, and very personal shot and that was my intent.

Thx everyone!

marko

[JAS_Photo]

I think I understand the the symbolism of the photo, now. I agree that that having the hat off gives respect to the person who is missing from the photo, the chair and possibly your life. In that context it's a very moving, poignant photo. I hope I am not being too presumptuous and maybe I am completely wrong, but my understanding of the photo is that the chairs depict or represent change and loss.

[Marko]

You are 100% correct raiven. They represent both change and loss. The fact they are on that corner is actually the spot that they were being discarded and they were a part of my life for several decades.

Thanks everyone :)
M