Trying to be creative, but...

[chopstickjayne]

I had what I thought was a good composition idea at the beach but I'm disappointed with the result - I wanted the sandals to be in sharp focus (which, obviously they aren't - user error there!) and then my husband and daughter in the water to be out of focus. I want to specifically ask about the composition itself and get some ideas about how to make this shot work - next time...
Should I have been squatting closer to the sandals on the ground? For some reason I stopped mid-squat.
Is there a different angle that would have been better to capture the feel of what I was trying to say?
Perhaps I should have captured this in horizontal orientation? (There were two other people just off the frame so I decided to make it a portrait capture - maybe I should have shot horizontal and cloned in PP later?)

Maybe it's several of these factors combined - Or, is it not about the composition but about the lack of sharpness in the sandals - in which case I've put this in the wrong thread

Thank you for your help!!

[photofun]

Jayne - not sure how much help I can be. I like your shot can see where you were going with it. To get the sandles in focus - focus on the sandels and then recompose your shot before pressing the button completely. My best suggestion is when you have a concept in you mind - first start out with what you think you need to do to get what you want. And after that don't stop taking pictures - think how can you do it differently - angle, orientation (portrait/landscape), focus, etc. Sometimes you may stumble onto a better shot or you may realize that your initial instincts were best. Sorry I couldn't be more specific with what would work better in your shot.

[SandeeWig]

Hi Jayne,

I actually really like your photo and the composition. I checked the large version on flickr and though the sandals aren't tack sharp, they still appear to be well in focus.

I found, as I scrolled down the page, that I think a slight crop where the horizon is on the top third line improves the composition slightly. The extra sky adds little to nothing and once that's gone I think your vision comes through more clearly and draws the viewer into the image more.

[chopstickjayne]

Originally Posted by photofun

Jayne - not sure how much help I can be. I like your shot can see where you were going with it. To get the sandles in focus - focus on the sandels and then recompose your shot before pressing the button completely. My best suggestion is when you have a concept in you mind - first start out with what you think you need to do to get what you want. And after that don't stop taking pictures - think how can you do it differently - angle, orientation (portrait/landscape), focus, etc. Sometimes you may stumble onto a better shot or you may realize that your initial instincts were best. Sorry I couldn't be more specific with what would work better in your shot.

Great reminder! I was shooting in raw and worried about using my memory as I was on vacation and didn't have a way to clear my card. Lesson here is, bring plenty of memory so I feel more free to snap away! Thanks! That was good advice. Also, I tend to limit my thinking and not experiment with angles before dismissing them. I will try to think more outside the "box".

Originally Posted by SandeeWig

Hi Jayne,

I actually really like your photo and the composition. I checked the large version on flickr and though the sandals aren't tack sharp, they still appear to be well in focus.

I found, as I scrolled down the page, that I think a slight crop where the horizon is on the top third line improves the composition slightly. The extra sky adds little to nothing and once that's gone I think your vision comes through more clearly and draws the viewer into the image more.

Thank you, Aimee! I will try your suggestion. I can see what you're saying about the crop idea. I appreciate your help in making this shot work better because it will be a while before I get the opportunity for the same kind of shot! Thank you for taking the time to experiment on this. Thank you for your encouragement!

[AnnetteJ]

Try crouching down quite a lot more, zoom in a bit on the sandals so they fill the bottom half of the frame or even more so the edges are out of the frame and you can just see the people over the top of them, focus on the sandals like this and it should make the background much softer while the sandals are nice and sharp. Try both orientations, as you are zoomed in more the other people may well be out of the shot anyway and you can always crop them or clone them out later if you feel the need. And you don't need much sky at all, mostly sand and some sea. It's a good idea and your pic is good, but it could be great.

[chopstickjayne]

Originally Posted by AnnetteJ

Try crouching down quite a lot more, zoom in a bit on the sandals so they fill the bottom half of the frame or even more so the edges are out of the frame and you can just see the people over the top of them, focus on the sandals like this and it should make the background much softer while the sandals are nice and sharp. Try both orientations, as you are zoomed in more the other people may well be out of the shot anyway and you can always crop them or clone them out later if you feel the need. And you don't need much sky at all, mostly sand and some sea. It's a good idea and your pic is good, but it could be great.

Annette, I'm glad you chimed in on this one! I was thinking exactly the same thing about crouching down a bit more. What I didn't envision was the small amount of sky needed to make this shot work. If I scroll the picture down so that the top of the frame is just to the tops of their heads and imagine being closer to level with the sandals, I can really see what you mean. I'm so hoping I have another opportunity like this one. Maybe I'll come across something similar around town since I'll be landlocked for a while now! Thank you, Annette. I really appreciate the help. It's help like this that keeps me going after more!

[hugy789]

I would think hat the figures in the background need to be bigger, you could do somthing really fansy in photoshop but i think the best hing would be to of steped back and zommed in to compress the persective.

[chopstickjayne]

Originally Posted by hugy789

I would think hat the figures in the background need to be bigger, you could do somthing really fansy in photoshop but i think the best hing would be to of steped back and zommed in to compress the persective.

Agreed! PLUS, a different lens MIGHT have helped - at least I'm hoping so - I'm getting a new one tomorrow! We'll see if that helps my creative juices flow a bit more freely!

Thanks for your help! Perspective and composition do not come naturally to me - I really appreciate another's perspective on my perspective

[chopstickjayne]

Originally Posted by hugy789

you could do somthing really fansy in photoshop

This is as fancy as it gets for me at the moment! Now I need to go back and straighten my horizon...

[mfreg]

I have to agree with everyone combined.....I like the shot alot, I think a lens that would compress things a bit, get the people "closer", and the sandles to where they are actually cut off a little bit, where they fill the entire bottom of the frame to the extent that they protrude out from it a bit would really look cool......of course I wouldn't have thought of any of that on my own, but after reading the other responses, I really like their ideas.