Angel on a tombstone

[Rowan611]

I walked around a local graveyard about a week back and I right when I was getting ready to leave I say this angel atop a tombstone; needless to say I thought it was worthy of a few shots. I just got around to processing some of the pictures, playing with different effects. What do you all think?

1.
http://mdjd.smugmug.com/photos/130138084-M.jpg

2.
http://mdjd.smugmug.com/photos/130138105-M.jpg

3.
http://mdjd.smugmug.com/photos/130138122-M.jpg

I think the B&W one needs something? I also tried a new technique on it to get the burnt corner look. C&C very much wanted. Thanks

[Rowan611]

Wow, 35 looks and not one comment. Are they that bad? This is the Critique section right? Everyone here always says post, post, post, that's how you learn. Well, I'm trying to freaking learn. THANKS!

[CannedHeat]

Of the three, I like #1 the most. #3 is too tightly cropped, and #2 is lacking interest possibly because it appears to be taken from a normal standing height. In #1 you lowered the camera angle which placed the angel above the horizon and brought more attention to it. Good DOF there also. /Dan

[zacker]

number one is the best one... the camera angle makes it easier to look at.

[Pete-eos]

Number one for me, a very very good picture.

[Rowan611]

Thank you for the comments. I liked the first one the best myself also.

[Robert_Lay]

I like the perspective best in #1.

However, I wish you had not been so stingy with foreground. I think it would look even better with a little more of the foreground included in the picture, so that the angel would not seem to be so close to the frame. Just a compositional issue. The perspective and exposure look right on.

[DAMphyne]

I agree with Bob, as a viewer, I need a place to be.
As for nobody commenting, at least they looked.

[Rowan611]

I like the perspective best in #1.

However, I wish you had not been so stingy with foreground. I think it would look even better with a little more of the foreground included in the picture, so that the angel would not seem to be so close to the frame. Just a compositional issue. The perspective and exposure look right on.

I see what you mean, I cropped a decent amount of the tombstone out of the foreground. I'll redo it and repost tomorrow, thanks for the comments guys; keep 'em coming.

[Kakahuates]

I like number 3, I think its the best one.

[oni0n56]

Dude these are sweet! I love #1, how the background is all saturated and then the little angel is white. and the contrast..

[according to jim]

Number one. Very nice.

[expatphotog]

I love #1. Agree with Robert on the lack of foreground. Seems like it could've benefitted from just a bit more. Well done!

[impete82]

#1 is truly amazing... not having it in center and the wide screen shot is just wow .... i read in books the subject should be on the left side because thats how we read and stuff, but having it on the right side works wonderfully

[thrumyeye]

Number one is a gorgeous shot. I think this is fantastic. The contrast of the color in the background and the white of the angel work well. DOF is great as well. #2 is cropped too closely and both #2 and #3 the angle of the shot isn't as interesting as the lower angle of #1.

Goodhearted - the reason the subject works so well on the right hand side of the photo - despite your books' suggestions - is because the angel is facing left. If you were to mentally picture this photo with the angel on the left, you would be left wondering what is so interesting that the angel is looking at (even though the eyes are heavenward)?

[impete82]

Goodhearted - the reason the subject works so well on the right hand side of the photo - despite your books' suggestions - is because the angel is facing left. If you were to mentally picture this photo with the angel on the left, you would be left wondering what is so interesting that the angel is looking at (even though the eyes are heavenward)?

well there ya go ;) i learnt something new today :D

[Robert_Lay]

I doubt that there is any pre-disposition towards the subject being at the right or at the left in an image.

What really happens is that the eye generally goes first to whatever gets its attention most strongly, and that is one of two things - either it goes to the brightest object in the scene, or it goes to the point of greatest tension. The point of greatest tension might be one of many different types of tension, but a common point of tension is a point where the deepest black and the brightest white are in close proximity (which usually occurs in the eye where the black pupil and the white of the eye are close together). Other types of tension are where an object just kisses or intersects at a point on another object, including the frame or border.

[joegolf68]

I really like the first one, very well done!!!!

[Rowan611]

Thank you all so much for your replies. I am a little behind processing pictures so I've just now started redoing the first shot, I'll post it as soon as it is re-cropped.

#1 is truly amazing... not having it in center and the wide screen shot is just wow .... i read in books the subject should be on the left side because thats how we read and stuff, but having it on the right side works wonderfully

I've actually never read that, I just thought the way the angel was sitting on the tombstone was really intriguing. I took a lot of shots of her that day, the first shot you see is the first shot of her I took, the best.

Again thank you all for the comments, I really appreciate them.

Here is the first photo re-cropped

1.

http://mdjd.smugmug.com/photos/130771784-M.jpg

[makphoto]

Very nice photos. I have 4 gig of cemetery photos. I travel and take pics at them all the time - and if i head somewhere and we pass a cemetery, I HAVE to stop and take pictures. I love them. When I was homeless for 6 months (when I was a teen), I basically lived in one. Most restful place I have ever laid my head.

BTW, the shadow on #2 adds a nice touch. W/ #1 I would crop out just under the angels legs as if she were kneeling on the ground, focus in tighter on her and make it look as if she is "praying over" the head stones in the back ground.

[JayKitty]

#1 is the best one. i think it tells a good story, being that the tombstones are in the background. i like it alot

[DAMphyne]

I do like the new crop, although the darkness of the base is a little distracting.
The base seems to give a little comfort to the elevation of the angel to the headstones in the background.

[Rowan611]

I do like the new crop, although the darkness of the base is a little distracting.
The base seems to give a little comfort to the elevation of the angel to the headstones in the background.

I actually prefer the first crop because it seems a little cleaner. I agree the darkness under the angel is distracting, I will see if I can't mess with that a little; that was done while processing it from a RAW to a psd file.

Here is another shot from that day; C&C please.

http://mdjd.smugmug.com/photos/130138068-M.jpg

[DAMphyne]

I like B&W but I'm having a hard time finding the Point of Interest in this photo. My eyes can't seem to settle on one part of the photo. I had a teacher tell me once, "Turn your picture upside down to let your eyes flow to the point of interest" it has worked for me.
In this photo, they want to go to the door on the crypt, but are dissapointed because there doesn't seem to be anything there.

[Paisley]

I like #1 best as well - the background looks pretty spooky to me and the light shining on the angel just sets it off. On the redo of #1 - the tombstone is distracting with too much dark - perhaps if you didn't add so much of it in?

On the b&w - I like it, but I'm distracted by the tombstone on the left foreground. My eyes want to rest on the crypt & statue monument thing, but they can't.

Nice job though.

[Rowan611]

Thanks for the comments guys, I see what you mean regarding the tombstone on the left.

I like B&W but I'm having a hard time finding the Point of Interest in this photo. My eyes can't seem to settle on one part of the photo. I had a teacher tell me once, "Turn your picture upside down to let your eyes flow to the point of interest" it has worked for me.
In this photo, they want to go to the door on the crypt, but are dissapointed because there doesn't seem to be anything there.

The crypt and the monument are the focus, I wanted to keep the background visible because I like the tombstones in the background. Anybody wanna try a different crop on this. I don't know how much more I want to crop, maybe this:

http://mdjd.smugmug.com/photos/130984468-M.jpg

[ErikM]

Really like #1... its a keeper.

#2 would be better if you were at a lower angle. #3 is too tightly cropped on the bottom and right sides.

[aab]

I am a complete newby, but #1 is by far my favorite! andy

[Rowan611]

I am a complete newby, but #1 is by far my favorite! andy

Andy,

Thank you from another newb:lol: