Sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown

[phantom1412]

Hi everyone, this is my first C&C post. I've only recently gotten into photography so all guidance and critique will be very much appreciated.

I took a trip out to the Arlington National Cemetery today and was caught in the middle of a tornado for about 30 minutes. I saw that the guard never abandoned post and continued to carry out his duty. I thought this was an amazing display of dedication and deference to the hallowed grounds. Naturally, I had to stand out in the rain with him and take his picture.

I wanted to capture the rain as much as possible, but I don't think I was very effective. The photo has been cropped down to improve composition. I have two versions: a dark one and a brighter one. Not sure which one conveys the mood more effectively.

Thanks and I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I did taking them

here's the lighter one



here's the darker one

[IzzieK]

Hi Daniel -- Welcome to CiC ... I hope you enjoy your stay here. I like both versions of your shot. The first one conveys a bit of misting because of the rain. And I agree with you about the soldiers that guard the Tomb. They are very dedicated.

[FootLoose]

That is a good composition, Daniel. All the detail is there, plenty of rain. It really deserves to be converted to b&w.

[Shadowman]

I think you did good, very hard to capture with such a light background, the sentinel's uniform would be the best backing for rain capture. Slow shutter speeds (1/60sec) are necessary to catch the rain effectively.

[Rebel]

Hi Daniel,

Nice shots, I prefer the 2nd one myself

[Mike Buckley]

Welcome to CiC, Daniel!

I like the composition and mood of your photos. The white balance seems to be off in both photos and perhaps even different from each other, so you might want to look into that.

Those who are interested in the requirements of being a sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier might want to review this Arlington Cemetery official web page.

[davidedric]

Very nice

I personally much prefer the lighter version, but I couldn't tell you exactly why. It seems to me that it better captures the atmosphere (even if I wasn't there )

Dave

[thegman]

Very nice shots Daniel, both shots have there own merits, both atmospheric well done.

[John 2]

Really good composition with the symmetry of the monument and background, the soldier in just the right place and I am intrigued by the red rose lower left which adds some poignancy. Second one for me but perhaps with a tad more contrast.

[chauncey]

Regarding Mike's comment about WB, I would consider using his gloves as a source to set WB.