Photos at an angle

[dlaf]

Greetings,

I have been taking pictures for years, but am now trying to learn a bit about phoptography. Below is a photo that I took yesterday for the Straight from Camera assignment. For some reason, I'm drawn to this "angled" version rather than my straightened version here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/daybeezho/2267554298/

Here's my question (I hope I can explain it properly). Is the "Leaning Doggy" more interesting because the "Straightened Doggy" is boring and it's the lesser of two evils (so to speak). Or, in your opinion, is it a better photograph, and why?

Sometimes I look at a photo I take and my mind's eye says "Oh my, what an artistic shot" and later when I look at it I'll think "What in the world was I seeing?" I don't trust my eye to know what's whacked out and what makes a good photograph. How do I learn to detach myself from a photo to see it for what it is? This little statue was a gift from my husband because at the time we had a wonderful English Springer Spaniel, who has sinced passed on. Emotional attachment or marginally interesting photograph?

Thank you for your time and opinions!

Debbie

[clockdoc]

Hi Debbie. Comparing the two, I like the dynamics of the "Leaning Doggy". The angles line tends to lead me into the photo more than the straight on approach. Another interesting point is that because the line leads in from right to left, it tends to keep my eye in the frame a little longer than if the angled line led in from left to right. The dynamics may still be there but it wouldn't hold the viewer in the frame as long. You may want to experiment with the different 'leaning' angles to see if there is a difference.

[dlaf]

Hi Lee,
Thank you for your great comments--I appreciate the help. I did have other angles of the dog, but when he was leaning the other way, it looked like he was going to fall off the shelf! Thanks again.
Debbie

[owl]

You know, I've long wondered if it's even possible to really detach oneself from an image in order to see it the way a "stranger" would, in large part because of personal emotion and such not. I did find that after lots of wandering through articles on lighting, composition, depth of field, filling the frame, etc etc and then taking that information and looking at other people's shots, I began to be able to "see" my own shots in a more objective way ("whoa--w-a-a-y too much distraction in the background", or "dang--what happened to my horizon line (landscape shots) that it's so un-straight??") kind of thing. Stepping away for a day or a few can make a big difference, too. Clockdoc's comments are on the money, and I think also the Leaning Doggy works better because you're a little below the subject, which emphasizes the tilt of the statue's head and those oh-so-soulful eyes.

[dlaf]

Thank you, owl. I am beginning to understand that the more I learn, the more I "see." What has discouraged me in the past is the feeling that I just don't have an "eye" for photography. I guess if I do things that please myself, then that will be a good start. If I'm lucky, maybe someone else will like something, too!

Debbie

[owl]

Absolutely--I get the sense you're on the right path, for sure. We're incredibly lucky these days, what with the resources that are available on the Web combined with the immediate "feedback" of digital and post-processing software. At the bottom of it all I believe photography is a terrific way to see our world a little more clearly, and with some knowledge in hand it can be a whole lot of fun!

[factor grimm]

I think you should go with what strikes you first. If you liked the angled shot at any time, I don't think you should worry that there's something wrong with it after much analysis. Too much analysis can ruin a good thing!

[Canadian Mum]

factor grimm is right... don't over analyze!!

Also... always remember that rules are made to be broken!

[imthinkingoutloud]

I really like the shot. It flows well and is interesting enough to grab ones attention.

Some of my best received shots are "odd ones".

[Pasq]

WOW Debbie, I wish I had the "eye for photogaphy" you say might not have!

By-the-by, in my younger years I had to take several writing classes in uni. One of them was descriptive writing. The prof of the class told me those things we write about which are part of our soul are our best pieces of work.

I could be wrong, yet this photo will stay with you for a very long time. Furthermore, you can see how many of us really like it.