Fire Hydrant

[Lorey]

On a walk this morning to get my mail at the Post Office got a couple that I was happy with. Would like to get a little input from others. Thank you for viewing.

Mailboxes
http://www.lmbphotos.com/web_postings/mailboxes-bw.jpg

Fire Hydrant
http://www.lmbphotos.com/web_postings/fire-hydrant.jpg

[Lorey]

Well.... over 30 views and no comment or critique... either they are so bad that they're not worth saying anything :yuck: .... or they are amazingly awesome that everyone is left speechless :eek: ... anyway thanks to those who took the time to take a look. I appreciate it.

[Marko]

Sorry I missed these Lorey.

Although I like the strong graphic shapes, shot 1 was taken from the wrong angle imo. The impressive shadows from the mailboxes are way cool, but because we are looking 'down the street', our eye tends to keep going down that street instead of resting on the intended focal points of the image which are in the foreground of the street.

I wasn't at this scene so i don't know what distractions may have been looming at any of the edges, but my first instinct here would have been to shoot in front of the shadows and catch the mailboxes as the background. Then I would have played other angles.

Shot 2 - I like this one a bit better but again I'm not convinced the chosen composition was the best one. For me the image is about the hydrant and shadow. The shadow, to me, looks like a mosque which may or may not have been intended but still looks interesting. Yet almost 2/3rd of the image is just pavement, this 'negative space' in this image, imo, doesn't help it in anyway. Therefore, in this case, my first instinct would likely have been to shoot this as a vertical with hydrant in FG and shadow in BG more close up.

Hope that may help and it's just an opinion. Thx - Marko

[Iguanasan]

Well, looks like I don't have to say anything because Marko just said it! :) I agree completely with him.

Also, keep in mind that no comments generally means that we simply missed it. Sorry for missing it! :)

[Lorey]

Thanks Iggy and Marko for the good critique.

Very good points brought out that I see as helpful. I did take 3 shots facing the mailboxes but just as you suspected there is a lot of undesirable distractions in the background. I was wishing I was about 9 feet tall when I was taking them then I would be high enough to look down at an angle and get the background out of the top of the frame. The negative space in the hydrant pic doesn't really bother me that much and I do agree that the shadow looks like a mosque. I noticed it when I looked at it on my monitor. One good thing is that both scenes will be there and have the shadows for a while as long as I get there about the same time in the mornings. I will be taking some different angles of the hydrant as you suggested and maybe a ladder for the mailboxes. They are only about a one minute, or less, walk from my house. I think there are possibly a couple of good shots in them if I can only find them.

I appreciate the time you took to give thoughtful feedback. If I come up with two new approaches in the next couple of weeks I'll post them.