Horse catcher ??

Dave Clee

Well for me this photo breaks the rules in a few places, but I keep coming back to it.
Would love to hear other opinions on it..and feel free to give me the good bad or ugly.

Not sure what forum it belongs in, but I was out there shooting landscapes..lol..

rwells

Dave,

I think this image "had" potential. I said had because you could have IMHO created a very nice image at the time of this shot if you had visualized what you wanted the image to be, then taken the necessary steps to accomplish that.

Specifically:

Leading lines are important. But they need to lead the viewers eyes into the image. Any way you look at it, the fence rails lead your eyes out of the image.

You have two main subjects: The horse & the spider web. You'd need to choose which one is going to be the "only" main subject in the image. You might still include both, but a perspective change and/or processing to pull one or the other out of the limelight, so to speak, might work also.

Anyway, that's my take. Hope it helps...

Dave Clee

Hey Randy, thanks for the input. I totally agree with the leading lines comment as well as picking a subject which is why I said originally I thought this one breaks a few rules.

The good news is I do have shots of just the horse and then just the spiderweb but in my mind they didnt interest me as much as this one.

Thanks again.

Dave

rwells wrote:

Dave,

I think this image "had" potential. I said had because you could have IMHO created a very nice image at the time of this shot if you had visualized what you wanted the image to be, then taken the necessary steps to accomplish that.

Specifically:

Leading lines are important. But they need to lead the viewers eyes into the image. Any way you look at it, the fence rails lead your eyes out of the image.

You have two main subjects: The horse & the spider web. You'd need to choose which one is going to be the "only" main subject in the image. You might still include both, but a perspective change and/or processing to pull one or the other out of the limelight, so to speak, might work also.

Anyway, that's my take. Hope it helps...

schmoo

Hi again Dave, I have to say that I think this shot is fine as it is. Having both subjects helps the story, and I think that your title is the perfect way to tie both of them together. It made me smile to think of that ambitious spider!

The dewdrops are just the icing on the cake, too. With those you can practically feel the moisture and know what kind of day it was when you shot this.

Dave Clee

Hey Schmoo, thanks for the feedback. The dewdrops definitely caught my eye as well. I usually try to follow the "rules" when shooting landscapes, but I knew when I shot it I had broken rank and ended up with a shot that I was looking to get.

Cheers

Dave

schmoo wrote:

Hi again Dave, I have to say that I think this shot is fine as it is. Having both subjects helps the story, and I think that your title is the perfect way to tie both of them together. It made me smile to think of that ambitious spider!

The dewdrops are just the icing on the cake, too. With those you can practically feel the moisture and know what kind of day it was when you shot this.

jpc

I like this shot. You keep coming back to this for a reason. Forget about the rules. Without "two subjects" this shot would be uninteresting. I also like the way the vertical post isn't parallel to the edge of the frame, so please keep breaking the "rules" !

Darren Troy C

Try this for me (a complete stranger ) if you don't mind. First, let me say a VERY COOL shot! Ok, my personal tastes would lead me to crop this. I would eliminate the top horizontal rail JUST BELOW WHERE THE RAIL RUNS OUT TO THE LEFT OF THE FRAME. What you're left with is a powerful horse standing at the edge of a misty, foggy forrest and a fence that's just not high enough to contain him. He's got a choice to make...sink into the darkness of the trees or make a break for daylight over the short fence. And maybe just maybe.....if he choses the latter...this little spider web can muster enough strength to hold the beast back.

I don't normally get "involved" in interpretations like that.....but man this image rocks! SCREW THE RULES. Take a look at the crop and see if it works for ya!

(WILL REMOVE IMMEDIATELY IF I HAVE OFFENDED IN ANYWAY!)

Dave Clee

Hey no worries, appreciate you taking the time work it. Funny enough I have this crop on a virtual copy in LR and I think it works as well. The only downside is I sacrifce the dewdrops on the top of the fence which I thought were a bonus feature...lol..

I also posted the uncropped frame so others could have a look as it was shot.

I shot approx 10 shots, different angles of this composition and this is the only one that really had a chance. I had to shoot down to get the contrast of the web lines against the darker BG. As soon as I shot up, or lower, I started to lose the lines of the web against the lighter bg.

Anyway thanks for the input, this photo for me shows progress b/c initially it was the horse in the fog that caused me to stop the car and setup the tripod. There was a time that once I had those shots I would of moved on. But lately I have been pushing myself to "explore" other creative possibilities within a scene.

Cheers

Dave

Darren Troy C

Good point! Didn't notice the dew drops before. Dohh! You sound alot like myself. My wife hates it when we're driving and out of the clear blue (no pun intended ) whip the truck over to the side of the road and scramble for my cam bag. It's the moments like those that create amazing possibilities!

sweet caroline

I love it as is. I say screw the rules with this one. The only suggestion I have is to try a little vignetting in the upper left corner so the lightness of the sky doesn't draw the eye there so much.

I love the foggy, mysterious feel. The optical illusion is great , too. Looks like that horse is in danger of getting trapped in the web if it bolts in the wrong direction. Did you can any shots looking through the web?

Caroline

Awais Yaqub

Wow stunning photograph ! i really like it
A photo that need a wall......

Dave Clee

Hahaha, I have long given up with trying to take photos with the family in the car...lol...I always seemed to feel rushed even if they arent rushing me.

Trying to juggle family life with photography is one of more challenging things for me. BUT I have found a solution that works

1 - I always take my camera when I am out with the family but now tend to take more family portraits, practice my off camera lighting techniques etc..Usually I come away with a few good kid shots that will be treasured for a long time.

2 - I dont mix my landscape work with family. For me it just doesnt work. I need to be out there on my own. So at least once a week I am up at 4am and heading out to some nearby place to capture the early morning light.
By the time 8am rolls around the light is almost "normal" and I am on my way back home to hang out with the kids

The hard part ??? Well I am probably one of the worst people for sleeping in, so in the beginning it was hard to get up early. But after a few times I got used to it. I will also say that anytime you can shoot as the sun is coming up, your work is guaranteed to improve by the sheer quality of the light. I have now come to enjoy my time out there early morning and find that is where most of my shots now come from.

Thanks again for all the comments.

Cheers

Dave

Idlewild wrote:

Good point! Didn't notice the dew drops before. Dohh! You sound alot like myself. My wife hates it when we're driving and out of the clear blue (no pun intended ) whip the truck over to the side of the road and scramble for my cam bag. It's the moments like those that create amazing possibilities!

ccheroke

I like it as IS
The title I would change lol* but the pic is great.

thapamd

Love the shot as is, Dave! Personally, I wouldn't change a thing here. B&W also works very, very well!

Tango

wonderful capture, sweet eye on the comp!