Simplification as a photographic technique

[DanK]

As for the main object needing to grab the viewers attention right off the bat... does anyone here not have their eyes drawn to the yellow bell ?

among other things. that's the problem.

[JBW]

among other things. that's the problem.

what do you first see?

[JBW]

Brian - yes it is busy, but perhaps you are asking the wrong question. A more suitable question should be "are there elements in this image that are distracting and taking away from the subject / centre of interest?"

If the answer to that question is yes, you should be looking at ways that would reduce the impact of those elements. This step is something that is best done while you are shooting so that they are not even in the image. That is not always possible, so the second question to yourself would be "can I fix this in post?". The answer to that question not only relates to the capabilities of the software and user skill, but also to the time and effort involved in doing the work. If it is going to take your three hours in post, why would you not take an extra 5 minutes in shooting to get a shot that works?

The piece of bamboo along the bottom, the large piece on the right and some of the bright areas all add to the complexity of the scene and detract from the subject (yellow flower). Downplaying them and enhancing the subject would strengthen this image.




By the way, Brian. There is nothing wrong with complex images, so long as they work well.

This is not so much a question of simple versus complex but simplification; i.e. removing or downplaying elements that do not add to the composition.

Your crop is a pleasant shot but it is not the scene that caught my attention. Lets just go with 'removal is not an option'. How would you down play the offending bits and bobs?

[JBW]

OK, I'll weigh in.

Manfred wrote this:



I think this is an excellent summary statement. For painters, the issue is what to add; for photographers, the question is often what to avoid, remove, or downplay (e.g., by darkening or blurring).

Sometimes, the impression one wants to make, or the story one wants to tell, requires complexity. but complexity that doesn't contribute to this is usually a distraction.

In the case of your image of the yellow flower, I agree that much of the background is simply distracting. You wrote that you wanted to display a scene, but there isn't much interesting in that scene other than the flower, and I find it distracting. For example, the bamboo on the bottom doesn't provide a leading line into the main focus (the flower); it takes they eye off to the right-hand edge. I agree with Manfred that the right-hand side distracts as well.

There are no hard and fast rules for this, and some of it is just a matter of taste. However, I find it useful to ask myself: where do I want the viewer's eye to go? Details that cause the eye to go somewhere else are usually--but not always--a negative. As an example of an exception: sometimes people use material on the edges to provide framing, and if that is done well (I generally do it poorly), it doesn't distract.

You are right the bamboo fence pulls the eye through the scene. But for my tired old eyes stop at the green leaf bottom right corner and follow it up to the bamboo post and back to the flower.

As for there being nothing of interest on the right side that's up for debate. I find the colors, the dappled light and the textures enhance the shot and rather pleasant to look at. To remove them removes a great deal to my way of seeing.

[Manfred M]

Your crop is a pleasant shot but it is not the scene that caught my attention. Lets just go with 'removal is not an option'. How would you down play the offending bits and bobs?

I wouldn't take that approach, because I don't think the image would be as strong. Part of the issue of leaving in the bits and bobs and downplaying them would result in an image that would not have visual balance. A slightly different shooting position or shooting angle would produce a completely different result, but we are both looking at this specific image.

Seeing a scene is just the first part; seeing the scene in a way that would produce a strong image is also necessary. I will often see a scene and have an idea on how to take it and will work that scene from different shooting positions, angles of view, etc. and won't pick a "winner" until I get back and review the downloaded image on a large screen. Sometimes none of the images meet my criteria and I delete them. On average, I probably post less than 5% of the images I have taken, just because they are not good enough.

[ScoutR]

I'm curious what others will say.

I think part of the problem is that you want a single point flower shot. Keeping the main thing the main thing. Whereas I'm attempting to create a scene. A scene where the main thing is the whole thing.

Brian

But in this particular case the Whole Thing does not work. Not to my eye anyway. If you want the main thing to be the whole thing then it has to make some sense, show me the context. In the yellow flower shot the main thing is obviously the flower. If you want to show the whole thing with the flower as a central point then I think you need MORE context. Show me what that thing is at the bottom of the frame - seriously right now it is just a distraction. You know what it is, but I don't, and the leaves of the plant at the right are cut off at the top. If you want the main thing to be the whole thing, I think it would be better if you did not have the whole thing all chopped up. It looks like the main thing is the flower with distractions. If you want the whole thing show me the whole thing, so I know what it is.

Don't know if that makes sense, and I don't know if would help the shot, but right now if looks like a yellow flower with distractions - not a complete scene to me

[JBW]

But in this particular case the Whole Thing does not work. Not to my eye anyway. If you want the main thing to be the whole thing then it has to make some sense, show me the context. In the yellow flower shot the main thing is obviously the flower. If you want to show the whole thing with the flower as a central point then I think you need MORE context. Show me what that thing is at the bottom of the frame - seriously right now it is just a distraction. You know what it is, but I don't, and the leaves of the plant at the right are cut off at the top. If you want the main thing to be the whole thing, I think it would be better if you did not have the whole thing all chopped up. It looks like the main thing is the flower with distractions. If you want the whole thing show me the whole thing, so I know what it is.

Don't know if that makes sense, and I don't know if would help the shot, but right now if looks like a yellow flower with distractions - not a complete scene to me

strangely enough it does make sense. I need to go bigger not smaller