Posing for the Shadow

[johnjuan57]

I shot this from the hip, and was wondering about composition. Does the composition work in this shot? Or am I way off? And should I crop out the trash at the top? Thanks

Camera Fujifilm FinePix S1000fd
Exposure 0.04 sec (1/25)
Aperture f/6.4
Focal Length 5.9 mm
ISO Speed 64

[karen_s]

I like it. It's interesting in that the dog is looking to the long shadow.

To answer your question, yes, I would either crop out the trash or clone it out in Photoshop or Gimp or something. I'd be tempted to do the same with the tree trunk to see if I liked it even more.

One other thing is, were the photo mine, I might play with the white balance. I do like the warm feel but I might dial it back just a smidge from it's current state. Keep the warm feel though, it works nice for sunrises and sunsets.

[autofocus]

John, first off let me say I love the shot. And to answer your question about cropping..I would. A 2x3 (4x6) crop can eliminate some of the foreground and background clutter, and places the dog in a better position within the image, and making him a little less centered. Although the crop does take away some of the shadow legs in the foreground, it does not take away the impact of the image. Interesting shot, and catching the dog looking at the shadow is what makes this shot...nice job

[Sweetlifephoto]

I agree a tighter crop would help focus attention on the dog and shadow. I would also bring up the fill light a little to separate the dog from the ground.

[johnjuan57]

Thank you all so much for your great comments, they are very encouraging. I really liked this shot, so I wanted to try my hand at some editing. Please remember Im a greenhorn, and don't know much. I cropped it how I thought you were talking about. I added a little white balance, and sharpened it a bit. I dont know, but I like it better now. Thanks again, John

[Tito87]

I really like your shot. And I agree with everyone else about the dog looking at your shadow. That really makes the picture.

[johnjuan57]

Originally Posted by Tito87

I really like your shot. And I agree with everyone else about the dog looking at your shadow. That really makes the picture.

Thank you very much Tito, It means a lot to here that kind of stuff.