Poll: Top Third or Bottom Third
ktuli — Sun, 11/21/2010 - 19:32
I usually don't do polls so close together, but I wanted to share these and gather opinions on whether folks liked more water or more sky.
I know I've mentioned it repeatedly in my critiques of shots, but I don't know if I've specified what exactly is mean when I refer to 'the thirds'. Imagine drawing a tic-tac-toe grid on your photo (or in your viewfinder when composing your shot). One thing to look at is whether any lines work well along one of those grid lines - an easy one is your horizon in landscape photography like this. Another way to look at those grid lines is where they intersect - placing one of your main focal elements at that point is generally considered. This is usually referred to as the Rule of Thirds even though it is more of a suggestion than a rule.
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Both Photos Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D, Tokina AT-X M35 Pro DX AF 35mm f/2.8 Macro 1:1, 1/12 sec at f/22.6. ISO 200. Circular polarizing filter. No post production. Cedar Creek Park, Westmoreland County, PA.
I know these shots are not 100% identical left-to-right as I think I had to sidestep some low hanging tree branches to get the bottom third image, but I think it serves to show the difference between the placement of the horizon (or in this case the water level) on the top or bottom third.
You know the drill - place your vote, then leave me a comment to let me know what made you vote the way you did.
- Bill
Considering composition only, technically they're both fine, I think it comes down to the intended subject matter, the reason for the picture, I like the lake and trees since there is nothing particularly interesting about the sky in this photo, so I picked the top third.
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