Temptation

[EyeofthePotatO]

New to photography and always looking for feedback. Thanks!

[Donald]

Joanne

That is a very clever and well executed idea. Seeing the possibility in the first place was inspirational. So, we know that the 'eye' for seeing a picture is working well.

In terms of the composition and content, a couple of suggestions for you to consider:

1. At the extreme top left and top right corner, there are bits of branch cutting across the corners. I would want to clone them out.
2. The end of the two twigs right at the end of our main branch, go out of the frame at the left hand side. If you had moved a couple of inches to the right, they would have been inside the edge (or if you have cropped this, you may be able to get them back inside the picture). When looking through the viewfinder you need to remember to look around the edges as well as at the main subject in the middle.
3. Less of an issue, but something that might add to the image, is the removal of those two twigs creeping in from the right hand side. They don't add anything and draw attention away from the main subject.

So, some points consider. You may, of course, disagree - which is perfectly legitimate. But hopefully these comments help you develop your own skills at analysing your work.

[Peter Ryan]

Hi Joanne and welcome to CiC if I have not already done so.

I am with Donald here. Your vision is working fine and I agree with his comments, particularly about the branches touching the sides and taking the viewer out of the composition or forming a barrier across the image. I love shallow DOF and the background tones are great. They almost create a B & W background to the coloured apple. I would play on this strength.

Looking further at this image I find it unbalanced. The subject is the apple but the branches at the top are too heavy and have taken over the composition. Less is more in most cases so I would crop the image to highlight the strengths I see. I hope you don’t mind but I have had a go to show you what I mean.

[EyeofthePotatO]

Donald & Pete: Thank you for that feedback. I tried to install PS5 but my disc was scratched and so I am still waiting for a replacement disc. I knew the darkness in the upper left corner would be a problem. I thought the right hand middle twigs pointed towards the fruit but can see how they may just be an irritation.
Cropping questions: This is going to sound very artsy-fartsy-angsty. It was the barrenness of the tree (no leaves, one rotting apple) and the emptiness around it that caught my eye. Do you have a suggestion for cropping/cloning that incorporates that?
I hope this doesn't sound defensive because I am incredibly grateful for your time and advice.

Thanks again and I hope to hear back from you soon.

[Donald]

I hope this doesn't sound defensive because I am incredibly grateful for your time and advice.

Joanne

The key point to remember is this is your image and the first person that's got to be pleased with it is ..... You!

What Peter and I have done is make suggestions. We have not said (we can't say) what's 'right'. Just as a matter of interest, I wouldn't have gone as far with the crop as Peter has suggested, but that is purely a matter of taste and judgement. He's not 'wrong' and I'm not 'right' or vice-versa. So, you do not sound artsy-fartsy-angsty. You sound like someone with a creative streak running through your body who is seeking to express a vision. That ain't pretentious. That's clever! So don't feel defensive. Celebrate your flair and artistry.

Another suggestion - I would park this one to the side until you get your PP package up and running and you feel comfortable with it. And then come back and explore your ideas further about what you want to express. You may go nearer to Peter's ideas. You may not. This is a good one with the potential, I think, to be very good.

[Peter Ryan]

I whole-heartedly agree with Donald and I am sure when you get your program up and running you will try many versions and as your skills improve you will come back again and again and improve on your original attempt. The great thing is that you have a vision of what you want the viewer to see and you must hold onto that.

You asked for further suggestion so when you get started try cloning out the two right hand twigs that come into the frame and the dark branches in the top right and left corners to bring it back to the essence of what you saw. I am sure these details were not in your minds eye when you took the shot.

I started a thread recently called What's in a Name pondering the importance of image titles and I wonder if you had chosen a name like One Rotten Apple we may have looked at the image differently to Temptation where you are basically asking us to concentrate on the delights of the apple.

Great work and I never feel offended, as Dave says it is all just ideas to help you present your final shot the way you want.

[Dave Humphries]

It was the barrenness of the tree (no leaves, one rotting apple) and the emptiness around it that caught my eye. Do you have a suggestion for cropping/cloning that incorporates that?

Hi Joanne,

I think to get that feeling, the apple would have to be much smaller in the frame and with more bare branches in shot - the problem is, you'll almost certainly run out of plain background that suits and end up with other, more distracting stuff behind it **

Getting further away and shooting with a longer focal length may help with that (less spread of viewing angle behind the subject).

Or getting closer and shooting with a wider angle lens, but to get a plain background might mean shooting upwards to get a plain sky behind (if that's possible).

In both those, I am not talking massive changes of focal length, but I don't know what you used here - unfortunately your pictures come without any useful EXIF data (e.g. focal length and aperture used, etc.), so more definitive advice isn't possible.

** You might be able to clone the plain background over a wider area behind the tree/branches to help if you have a shot from a bit further away.

Cheers,