I think I understand what you are trying to do, but the composition is not working particularly well for me.
First of all, the back of people does not generally make for a strong image. Shooting from the back can work, but that usually means that the photographer is directing the viewer using their gaze towards the subject of centre of interest, which is not the case here.
The other issue is the positioning of the brightest part of the image. If it is at the edge of the frame, this leads the viewer's eyes to go to that part of the image. The human visual system is cued to look to those areas. If this is the subject, the image can work well, otherwise like in this one, it will direct the view out of the frame, where we quickly loose interest.
I like its moodiness. For me, it evokes the feeling of emerging from a long and arduous trip.
Last edited by escape; 29th March 2021 at 09:57 AM.
Luckily the human intelligence system has evolved to control the human visual system so once the eye registers the sparse detail at the top of the image, the intelligence system drags it back to the part of the image where there is detail - lines, texture, shape - to explore.
I have a similar feeling about the image to Daniel. I think this comes in part from the person's right foot: it only seems to be lifted partially off the ground, as if the person is weary from travelling and is treading slowly. This also works with the light gradient - the person emerging from the dark and still has a long way to go as suggested by the converging lines and the size of the distant figure that the person is looking towards.
I like the moodiness too.
The brief discussion so far prompted me to look up a dictionary definition of "distraction". Since this is Cambridge in Colour I opted for a website called "The Cambridge Dictionary", according to which a distraction (in the sense that applies here) is "something that prevents someone from giving their attention to something else".
Those of us who enter competitions become accustomed to judges deducting points for "distractions" and it's a sufficiently well-grounded practice that we don't mind - indeed the penultimate step in preparing an image for competition entry is to to go over it and deal with anything that the "standard judge" could pick up on as a distraction.
However, back in the wider world, we behave more like how Greg describes things and in that regard I feel that not only is the bright area at the top not a distraction, it adds to the moodiness and the sense of traveling from the dark to the light.
Thanks Manfred, Daniel, Greg, Bill for giving me provoking comments!
I try to make viewers eyes to focus on the center of pictures such as Bill's profile picture to avoid distraction
Well, the last phrases of "whatislife"s post (coupled with join date and number of posts) makes me think it's more likely a spam, with the active part missing (or coming later?)
What a captivating discussion on long exposure photography! Each shot truly tells a story of its own, painting moments in time with strokes of light and shadow. Personally, I find the juxtaposition of stillness and movement utterly mesmerizing. And hey, who doesn't love a good night shot of the city skyline, right? It's like capturing the heartbeat of the urban jungle!
Now, onto the topic of deutsche bahn, transportation can indeed be a double-edged sword for photographers. While it offers access to diverse locales, the challenge of capturing a crisp image while on the move is real! But hey, that's where the magic lies, isn't it? Embracing the unexpected, finding beauty in the blur.
As for me, I've had my fair share of deutsche bahn adventures, and while they may come with their share of delays and crowded compartments, they also offer a unique perspective on the world whizzing by outside.
Last edited by Markveber; 15th May 2024 at 09:54 AM.
I would point out to Markveber that this thread is over three years old
Roy