Lighthouse at Sunset

[Harnum]

Hello everyone!

A few days ago, I took a picture of a lighthouse in silhouette. I had some issues in regards to framing. I didn't know whether to include more of the silhouetted ground in the bottom of the frame, or whether to crop it out. Out of these two pictures, which do you like more?

EXIF:
Nikon D3000
F-stop: f/4.0
Exposure time: 1/4000 sec.
ISO: ISO-200
Exposure bias: 0 step
Focal length: 55mm
Flash mode: No flash

The Original



The Cropped Version

[lerabu]

it's a great subject anda very nice sky!

In terms of cropping I feel like "the truth" likes somewhere between the two. But this is very subjective

Nice photo!

[benchdog]

Hi Harnum

This is a really nice image. What I don't like about your 2nd image is when you cropped the bottom you also crop some of the right side and the light house is crowding the right edge a little to much. It is also leaning to the right a little.

Nice work

[milosh]

Hello,

I like the first version better, because it follows the rule of thirds, which I find pleasing in this shot. The ground and the base of the lighthouse in a shot like this only serve to put the subject in it's context and to support it, so it's not hanging in the air. That said, you don't need too much of it, since it has no detail, and it can degrade the aesthetics of an image if it's too big. Now, finding the right balance is a bit tricky, but I think the first version works better for this one. Also, in the second photo, I find the lighthouse a bit too close to the frame edge.
Btw, if you're posting multiple photos for us to compare, there's a section for that.
Comparison - Critique

[Harnum]

Originally Posted by milosh

Btw, if you're posting multiple photos for us to compare, there's a section for that.
Comparison - Critique

My apologies, I had no idea!

Thank you guys for the input! =]

[Michael_2010]

Just curious, why did you choose those camera settings?

[Krusty79]

First of all, I'll say that's a nice shot. The first shot has more of the "base" of the lighthouse, so to me, it makes the lighthouse feel more entrenched or solid. The 2nd shot shows less of the base, so to me it makes the lighthouse feel more delicate.

If I had to choose one, I would choose the first one, maybe because I'm subconsciously trying to follow the rule of thirds like milosh mentioned.

[Harnum]

Originally Posted by Michael_2010

Just curious, why did you choose those camera settings?

To be completely honest with you, I was just kinda snapping away one night while talking to some of my friends up by the lighthouse. My camera was still on the aperture mode that I was using prior to this shot.

But since we're talking about this, what sort of settings should I have used (in terms of aperture, shutter speed, exposure steps and the like) and what should I use for future shots?