Kind of a weird photo...

[Cold]

On a recent photowalk, I happened upon this slightly creepy sight and had to take a few shots. Unfortunately, as most of my (limited) photo experience is landscape, I really had no idea how to best compose a shot like this. Any feedback at all, from a simple "I like this" or "this is awful" to specific suggestions on composition (or any other aspect of the shot for that matter) are welcome.



Model: NIKON D80
ISO: 200
Exposure: 1/80 sec
Aperture: 5.0
Focal Length: 140mm
Flash Used: No

Thanks!

[windrider86]

I think the biggest issue is there is too much room behind it. Perhaps crop it down some. lol I really like the arm coming out from the wood!

[Physibeth]

I agree with windrider, crop it in more. I like the subject though, yes very creepy.

[NgaiHill]

Yes, very creepy. I like the extra hand coming up there. I would perhaps have got down lower and to the right so that you are shooting across the wood, might make a foreground of it. A definitely come in closer on it.

[Cold]

Thanks, everyone! I cropped it more aggressively, let's see what you think of this:



Ngai, I may be able to get to this area again soon. If so, I'll be sure to try a lower angle. Thanks for the suggestion.

[LeeR]

I am going to take an opposing view here. You have broken a couple of significant rules here; you have placed the subject square in the middle, and you have not filled the frame. In almost every other situation I would agree with the advice you have been given so far, but there is a mitigating element here. Sometimes the subject of an image is so striking, so arresting that it almost demands to be placed front and center. I believe this is one of those cases. I actually think the tighter crop looks worse and would go back to the original if I were you.

[Cold]

Thanks for the contrasting viewpoint, LeeR! I *do* like the context provided in the less-tight crop, showing this statue-thing surrounded by cast-off pieces of wood and weeds. While the second one is somewhat more 'classically sound', and I like it for that, I do agree that the overall impact is much different.