Composition question

[chauncey]

When you have a sloping line dominating an image as this, should it be left au naturale or...

http://i329.photobucket.com/albums/l383/chauncey43/Right.jpg

flipped like this.

http://i329.photobucket.com/albums/l383/chauncey43/Left.jpg

[milorad]

I'm not sure how one is any different to the other... it's just that one is designed for left-handed viewers.

Its a tough image to balance properly though... I can't say what I would have done on the spot, except maybe make a choice between wider, or tighter. What a great spot though... challenging to shoot maybe, but certainly worth the trouble.

[Picture North Carolina]

To me, the second is disorienting. The first gently leads in with the line, the second flipped image begins abruptly then leads out. BTW, ya' got some sensor dust spots on your hands.

[woodsie]

I don't think it makes any difference which way the slope is going. The only changes I would have made to the composition here would be to move the frame more to the right and up so that the snow was 1/3 of the way into the frame (rule of thirds, would work well in this shot), then wait for the horse riders to pass the bend in the road so that they are a more active part of the shot.

But it is a great shot with the diagonal line, the interesting clouds in the sky, the trail winding below, the riders below and the immediate foreground included in the shot. The photograph is almost telling a story.

[eror11]

We learned in class that a slope from the upper left towards the lower right corner gives a more passive feeling to your eyes (like going downhill) because we're mostly accustomed to reading/writing and viewing in that direction, while the slope from the lower left towards the upper right is more like going uphill, tiresome and stuff... well, don't know if that makes alot of sense and all, but that's what they taught us!

[chauncey]

I had read that someplace eror11, but the conflict here is that the riders are kinda going "against the grain".

Thanks for input guys.

[woodsie]

We learned in class that a slope from the upper left towards the lower right corner gives a more passive feeling to your eyes (like going downhill) because we're mostly accustomed to reading/writing and viewing in that direction, while the slope from the lower left towards the upper right is more like going uphill, tiresome and stuff... well, don't know if that makes alot of sense and all, but that's what they taught us!

Would that work the other way around for Arabic and Chinese people? ;)

But in mountains uphill inspires dramatic, exhilarating and challenging rather than tiresome (and stuff...)

[midnitejam]

For comparison, I would like to see this image's horizontal more level--at least enough so that the ice flow would be perpendicular to the top border and parallel with the side borders.

BTW, both the left and the right orientations strike me as being stressful. In each of the comps, I'm still looking toward the top of the hills from the rider's vantage point. Those riders are strong directionals.

The calmer mood would be better realized if the riders were high on the hill riding down from the top toward the lower portions of the hill.

[chauncey]

Midnightjam my friend, you are right, the horizon was off about 5 degrees.
Looks a lot better now. Don't know if it helped the stress that you referred to.

http://i329.photobucket.com/albums/l383/chauncey43/379U9888nw-2.jpg

What do ya think now?

[Laramie]

The original (down slope to left) is easier on the eyes. Just my thoughts...

[midnitejam]

The original (down slope to left) is easier on the eyes. Just my thoughts...

Actually, the only aspect of the image that even slightly concerned me was the horizontal. I liked both orientations equally as well.

My referrence to the emotional impact that was mentioned because of the perception of going up the hill (evoking stress)or down the hill (evoking calm) was for the benefit of those of you who are sensitive enough to detect a difference of mood when going up or going down. The directional clues (the direction that the riders were going) is the only thing that would determine for me if my eye was moving up the image or down the image. That's probably because my perceptions and sensitivities haven't yet been as honed as sharply as some of you. At this stage of my personal development, the only things about this image that could change my directional perception would be the direction in which the riders were moving

[chauncey]

:lol: :lol: I'm chuckling at what you said because on the trail that they are riding does go downhill, doesn't look like it, but it does.

[Nathan]

total mindbend... i can sense that the photo was flipped or that the earth shifted... not sure if it's because i saw the original image first

[midnitejam]

total mindbend... i can sense that the photo was flipped or that the earth shifted... not sure if it's because i saw the original image first
No matter what the flip, the riders are always pointed toward the top of the frame. My eyes will always move in the direction that makes me look where they are going or what they are moving toward. But then after closer inspection, I can see that the riders' path will eventually make a 180-degree turn before reaching the top of the hill. The path that the riders are on leads up and into the central image and then veers 180- degrees to begin its projection down the hill, but the direction of the riders at the moment of capture determines my perception of up or down (in this case its up for me)

WOW! This is really an intriquing image. It gives much to ponder. It evokes more than one single notion of relation. It has more than one lead-in line . If you follow the path to its end to see where it's going, the up/down perception will always be down. If you follow the direction the riders are looking to or pointed toward, the up/down perception will always be up.

It would be interesting to poll this image on the basis of its up or down perception.

[Nathan]

Honestly, with the image flipped, I feel like I'm falling

[canonloader]

Yes, the flipped version is just... wrong. :)

[dr1ft]

We read left to right, so the first image is nicer -- it leads up, while the second one makes us feel like we're about to fall off.

I wonder if there any folks here that can read a right to left language. How do they feel?

[discodavor]

for me the flipped image works better for the same reason mentioned previously; we are used to going from left to right

dave

[Diesel_Dog]

for me the flipped image works better for the same reason mentioned previously; we are used to going from left to right

dave

I would agree. I would like to see the 3rd image (with straight horizon) flipped.

[chauncey]

Doesn't seem to be a consensus here, kinda a coin flip.

Thanks folks.

[jeffrf]

Whichever I see first is "right" the second is "wrong"

[prattw]

We read left to right, so the first image is nicer -- it leads up, while the second one makes us feel like we're about to fall off.

I wonder if there any folks here that can read a right to left language. How do they feel?

I'm a native speaker of English (well, of Texan, anyway, and I understand English with no problem), but I learned Hebrew young and have used it for over 50 years. And it has a lot of positive emotional connotations for me. That may well be why I prefer a slope from lower right to upper left.

Will

[N/A]

We learned in class that a slope from the upper left towards the lower right corner gives a more passive feeling to your eyes (like going downhill) because we're mostly accustomed to reading/writing and viewing in that direction, while the slope from the lower left towards the upper right is more like going uphill, tiresome and stuff... well, don't know if that makes a lot of sense and all, but that's what they taught us!

You took the words right off my keyboard! I never had any formal classes in landscape photography but was thinking the same thing even before I read your post. I think that which side I would choose to have on the left or right would depend on what psychological and/or emotional impression I wanted the viewer to take away, viz. sloping down from the left conveys a more peaceful, relaxing feeling to me. :cool:
Just my 2¢ worth though.

[photoguynorth]

The only thing that I would change is that the snow is too light, and keeps attention away from the trail and riders. I did a quick edit to lighten the ground, and I darkened the trail a bit so it stands out. IMO this helps Balance the shot, and makes the riders easier to spot.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3284/3054201926_b99f39242f_o.jpg