Barn Landscape: Advice for Comp on reshoot please

[terrib]

I got permission to access the neighbor's property to get a better view of this old barn. The property is across the lake/pond from the barn and there are viewpoints from a small hill on down to the lake. I took several quick shots to take back and study so that I could go back (without husband) and spend some time on the shot.
Here are a few of the shots. They are in various stages of processing so I'm not looking for C&C on them but rather looking for 2 things:

1. What do you think is the best composition or vantage point for reshooting?
2. The barn is north of the property I have access to. What time of day or lighting conditions should I be planning for? Golden light of early morning or late evening or a bright overcast or partly cloudy day? This seems like a really basic question at this stage for me but I'm not confident so I wanted to ask.

Even though this is a neighbor, access is not easy so I'd like to make the most of my time. Also, I'm thinking I should get there before the trees get full of leaves which is not far off. I'm leaning toward #1 or a crop of #4. They don't give total separation between the foreground trees and the barn but I like part of the "island" framing the water against the opposite shore.

#1 This is the lowest perspective I considered. I like that the openings to the stalls show some. Any lower and the front trees block too much of the barn. I like the bare tree on the right as a balance. I like at least some of the lake showing even though it is not the subject.



#2 Mostly to show what's available on the west side of the barn which I don't find much of interest. It's from a higher perspective giving separation from the foreground cedar trees and the barn.



3. Another higher perspective but with the barn on the left third which I think I want.



4.

[Rob Ekins]

Terri,

I use an app on my phone called Sunseeker to determine where the sun will be on any given day and time.

This may help you to plan the timing of your shoot.



Robbie.

[terrib]

Thanks, Robbie. I use The Photographer's Ephemeris. The sun will be pretty much behind me all day as I look north toward the barn. It's not that I don't know where the light will be. I'm just not sure which light will be the best choice.

[Karm Redland]

Terri, I like the first one best. I would try sharpening it a bit and play with its red, orange, yellow and blue luminance and saturation.

[ShaneS]

Nice subject Terri. Just to be different, what about #3 with a crop something like this:



For some reason I like the row of small trees in the foreground and find that the leafless trees obscure too much of the of the barn in #1. I do like #4 as well with a tad less foreground water and a little more room to the left of the barn.

I can't speak to the time of day that would be best for the shot though but I will look forward to you sharing the end result.

[Shadowman]

Early morning or late evening could get you some good scenes, not sure how it would be lit at those hours, you could utilize flash if necessary.

[Aforns]

Like the first one best and agree on exploring possibility of better light, warmer at the start/end of day !! .... there could be some good shooting right inside !!!!

[Colin Southern]

I'd suggest trying some shots a LOT closer.

[Mike Buckley]

Sorry to drop a wet, smelly rag on your idea, Terri, but I just have to. None of these compositions are up to the standard of your typical work. If this is the closest that you can get to the barn, which would be understandable, my impression is that you're working very hard and spending a lot of time to make an image that will likely not be nearly as good as other images you could make using the same time and effort.

[terrib]

Nice subject Terri. Just to be different, what about #3 with a crop something like this:



For some reason I like the row of small trees in the foreground and find that the leafless trees obscure too much of the of the barn in #1. I do like #4 as well with a tad less foreground water and a little more room to the left of the barn.

I can't speak to the time of day that would be best for the shot though but I will look forward to you sharing the end result.

I think what you suggest is a good option that I need to explore. I was trying to include some of the lake but didn't want there to just be water all across the bottom like #3 which is why I was exploring the inclusion of that other bit of land at the bottom. However, I don't think I'm going to find a vantagepoint that includes that without having the trees obscure the barn. Since the barn is my main subject, I don't want that. Hence, I may have to give up the water and your crop is a great place to start. Thanks!

I will say though that #1 with all the overgrowth and trees partially obscuring the barn, to me, give more a sense of abandonment of the property. I think there's a different mood with the two perspectives.

[Downrigger]

OK, lovely old barn.
I’m with Karm on color – it’s a feature you want to make stand out. Shadowman addresses this too by suggesting lower angled warmer light and I can’t tell whether early morning or evening could do that for you without putting too much shadow on the stalls. But you could figure that out. Starting with the color emphasis this calls for in the shot first, then doing more in pp if really called for is a more appealing approach to me, if it can be managed.
I would add that I like Shane’s crop: plenty of context remains and the subject is stronger. But if you could get up higher (light stepladder with sturdy husband to secure it?) you might be able to overcome the obscuration of the grassy rise that hides so much of the stalls. A slight shift to your right, with Shane’s crop, would move that tree out of the near corner stall.
Finally, some light spring greens from mouse-ear sized leaves would help set off the great colors of the rusty roof.
That’s a lot! Meaning Mike might be right. But if all that worked it might be pretty nice. I’m impressed by the dogged methodology you are applying to making something work here, as it is a lovely subject.

[terrib]

Thanks to the rest of you also for your comments. Right now I only have access to the property across the lake from the barn so getting closer isn't an option. I did try a few shots at 400mm but I doubt that's the effect some of you are suggesting as I can't get between the trees and the barn that way.

[mknittle]

Ilike #3 best. It might make a good monochrome too.

[terrib]

OK, lovely old barn.
I’m with Karm on color – it’s a feature you want to make stand out. Shadowman addresses this too by suggesting lower angled warmer light and I can’t tell whether early morning or evening could do that for you without putting too much shadow on the stalls. But you could figure that out. Starting with the color emphasis this calls for in the shot first, then doing more in pp if really called for is a more appealing approach to me, if it can be managed.
I would add that I like Shane’s crop: plenty of context remains and the subject is stronger. But if you could get up higher (light stepladder with sturdy husband to secure it?) you might be able to overcome the obscuration of the grassy rise that hides so much of the stalls. A slight shift to your right, with Shane’s crop, would move that tree out of the near corner stall.
Finally, some light spring greens from mouse-ear sized leaves would help set off the great colors of the rusty roof.
That’s a lot! Meaning Mike might be right. But if all that worked it might be pretty nice. I’m impressed by the dogged methodology you are applying to making something work here, as it is a lovely subject.

Hi Mark,
Thanks for the comments. I was also thinking I might trying moving to the right a bit. Not sure until I get back over there if it is possible. I didn't take any test shots from that area because it required going over another fence and the land quickly goes downhill behind the dam around the lake. I need to see if I can get to the dam which may be the best perspective. There's just so much overgrowth that many routes are blocked off completely.

Anyway, Mike could be right that I may not come up with a final image that's any good. But I don't believe it is in any way a waste of time because it's an exercise in thinking through all the things that affect the perspective of a shot. Training myself to better see how walking down a hill or moving to the right totally changes how the elements in a shot combine with each other may save me some steps in the future.

[terrib]

Ilike #3 best. It might make a good monochrome too.

Oh, definitely. Even though I'm not a great fan of monochrome, it's about the first thing I did when I processed the first shots.

[Downrigger]

Hi Mark,
Thanks for the comments. I was also thinking I might trying moving to the right a bit. Not sure until I get back over there if it is possible. I didn't take any test shots from that area because it required going over another fence and the land quickly goes downhill behind the dam around the lake. I need to see if I can get to the dam which may be the best perspective. There's just so much overgrowth that many routes are blocked off completely.

Anyway, Mike could be right that I may not come up with a final image that's any good. But I don't believe it is in any way a waste of time because it's an exercise in thinking through all the things that affect the perspective of a shot. Training myself to better see how walking down a hill or moving to the right totally changes how the elements in a shot combine with each other may save me some steps in the future.

Your work on this, so thoughtful, is about the wonderful/terrible reality of wanting to capture landscape - we cannot "fix" it, nor can we image what we imagine it to be, rather than what it is. We only have the opportunity to try to reconcile our imagination with what actually is there.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Terri,

You don't want to leave this until there is too much growth on the deciduous trees, shoots is about all you need, or it will block the view.

On best time of day to shoot, I would suggest one that has the sun almost aligned with either the side or front, such that it enhances the texture of the roof or timbers. Unfortunately if this is looking north, that may not happen until the time of year when the foreground trees are in leaf.

Failing that, if the sun could light the barn at a really low angle, such that the pale foreground grasses don't overwhelm the image with their brightness as they tend to in #4.

Is getting there by boat possible?

I like Shane's crop of your #3, I think it is the best composition of trees and barn and shooting height, although I might suggest a bit less sky.

Cheers,

[zen]

I'm with Colin on this one, Terri. Seems to me the focus should be on the barn itself, not the vegetation surrounding it. The barn is where the "character" lies. Too bad you can't get closer, but how about a long lens to get between the shrubs, and maybe move to the right a bit to shoot around the tree at the near corner of the structure.

Secondly, monotone would be terriffic for this shot, with lots of contrast; and I'd also try sepia.

Good luck. A really great scene. Am anxious to see the result.

Zen

[ShaneS]

Terri;

I will say though that #1 with all the overgrowth and trees partially obscuring the barn, to me, give more a sense of abandonment of the property. I think there's a different mood with the two perspectives.

I think that you are right about the sense of abandonment being more prominent in #1 and the inclusion of the water in this composition is very nice.

I also wanted to add that I don't think this process is a waste of time as even if the image ultimately doesn't turn out to be your best, the work and thought you put into creating it will be ingrained in your process when you approach other images. This is a case study for how approach the capture an image and while this process may not work for everyone it does not make it any less valid. I am learning through your exploration and I think that others will as well so thank you for "putting it out there".

[Colin Southern]

Also -- it's the kind of thing that makes for a KILLER location for portraiture.

Also also - try to shoot it in the golden hour so you avoid washed-out surfaces and hard/contrasty shadows.