Off Center Shot Effective?

[Hendo1769]

Hi there,

I took this shot in response to this week's blog entry about taking the camera off center every once in a while. I also had the "Time" assignment in mind. Now, I'm torn. I can't tell if this framing is effective and neat, or simply confusing. Also, is it possible to photoshop out that barn from the background? I'd appreciate any comments or help you can give me.

-Andy





For the second, I cropped slightly to center the building and even the sides. I also tilted the image a little to make everything nice and straight, although the left side is still bugging me. Desaturated completely, took the temperature all the way to blue, and the tint all the way green. I also upped the contrast a little bit, as well as bringing the exposure down a touch. All of this was done pretty quickly in iPhoto.

So, is this a good use of funny angles?

AND, now that we're here, what do you think of this B&W? I've always felt like I was missing something in B&W conversion. Any thoughts or suggestions? Should I get out of iPhoto (safety blanket) and bite the Photoshop bullet? I have the Gimp but I rarely use him, mostly for want of a clue.

Thanks!
Andy

I don't know how to leave the EXIF intact so here's a rundown:

400D with 50 f/1.8 @ f5 1/400 ISO 100, Shot as JPEG. WooHoo!

[nh7tn]

i like the angle of it. a little like how the world looks to the shed... the b&w makes the background barn blend into the sky a little too much for me, though

[shannonje]

i like the black and white better - the background is less distracting. I don't particularly like the angle however. I think it'd look better with the earth straight and the shed tilted rather than vice versa

[jdepould]

Originally Posted by shannonje

i like the black and white better - the background is less distracting. I don't particularly like the angle however. I think it'd look better with the earth straight and the shed tilted rather than vice versa

Agreed, I find myself tilting my head without even intending to. I think there would be a more humorous quality to the shot with the horizon "normal."

[melanie2457]

haha great job!! I think the tilt would be even better if it weren't for that other building in the background. It'd really seem odd if it was just grass and sky and this askew shed.

[wulf]

Personally, I really like the B&W version. Turning it monochrome makes the background less distracting (not that I saw it as a major problem before) and you have also cropped in a bit closer, which is good.

I wouldn't describe this as an off-centre shot (although it is strongly assymmetrical) because the shed is positioned on the centre line but, for all that, I think it was an effective choice to orientate to the shed rather than the ground.

Wulf

[Darren Rowse]

wow - I feel dizzy just looking at that one!