C&C Composition

[wreckchick]

I just got my camera and housing in the water today. It's an Oly SP350 with the Oly housing and no strobe. I took a couple shots that would have been pretty cool if I knew how to work the blasted camera. One shark photo is kind of amazing except it's so dark it's beyond repair, but that's neither here no there.

I took this photo in about 45' of water at a site called The Crack off the NW point of Provo. When I was reviewing it I thought the composition was pretty cute with the bug eyes and the just the flick of the tail. I had someone else tell me it was a terrible shot.

Let's hear it! What do you all think?

Rachel

P.S. I don't care one way or the other, I still like it but from a critics perspective, I'm curious.

 

[Gilligan]

Did you post-process your photo?

I took the liberty of doing so in P.S.

 

[wreckchick]

Thanks, Gilligan!

I hadn't messed with it yet because I'm just getting my feet wet with this stuff.

I had another friend play with it and got this....

 

[HowardE]

IMO - a little cropping never hurts - for adjusting the composition. With an 8mp camera, you have plenty of room for making some crops without losing the image size.

Personally, I would crop in a little on the fish more, and like Gilligan did, remove that odd sponge arm on the left (by cropping instead of using the "clone tool" to erase it completely)... but if you pull in tighter, keep the fish off center a little.

Here's what I did to the composition, but I don't have an original in 8mp's so it's smaller.

Some people I know are against cropping, but I just see it as another handy tool for the digital photographer.

 

[wreckchick]

I love cropping! I just posted the original more for critique on the shot set-up than to figure out what I could do in post-processing.

It's certainly true that some pics can be "fixed" after the fact, but getting as close as possible in the original certainly makes life easier later and will also yield more useable shots.

R

 

[wreckchick]

P.S. Thanks for your help in fixing this one! It's my favorite of the ones I took yesterday.

 

[alcina]

OK, remember - you asked I won't talk about post processing as you asked about composition.

- Your subject is a bit centered...think about rule of thirds, diagonals and keeping your main subject off centre. By moving your main subject out of dead centre you create more depth and more interest in the frame. If your camera allows you to move the focus point you can use that to "remind" you underwater.

- Try to get a bit lower, I know, I know...it's tough and awkward, but it's worth it. By getting lower you will separate your fish from the background and this will make him POP more.

- Check your framing. So far everyone has removed that sticky outy bit on the left of the frame in post processing and this is a viable option for most uses. But would be even better to learn to "see" these types of things and shoot to exclude.

- Go vertical. It only takes a second to flip the camera up and take a vertical shot. Sometimes this can not only remove stuff from the edges, but can make a really nice composition, too. Worth trying - it's digital, it's free

Great capture on this guy's eyes - they look nice and sharp and that's certainly not the easiest thing to do! Looking forward to lots more!

 

[Charlie99]

I'm not an expert in composition, but just like looking at artwork, there are some I like and others I don't.

At my first glance at your photo, my eyes wandered all over, not knowing whether the center of focus was the sharply focusssed vertical gorgonian?? to the right of the fish, the fish, or the thing off to the left of the fish.

Now if the fish were a very cooperative model, I'd have him move over to the right, and back a couple feet, so he peeks at us from inside the triangle of stuff on the right side of the photo. Unfortunately, fish aren't very cooperative, or at least that's my excuse for all the fish butts I photograph.

 

[shark_tamer]

P.S. I don't care one way or the other, I still like it but from a critics perspective, I'm curious.

:huh: You want it, so here it is !!!!

No so good of a shot .... File it under " Better luck next time " :blinking:

Don't give up, the ocean is full of fishes

P.S. I have myself learned that uw photography is much more difficult than regular photography ....

 

[alcina]

:huh: You want it, so here it is !!!!

No so good of a shot .... File it under " Better luck next time " :blinking:

This isn't particularly helpful - please say "why" you feel it's lacking and "how" you would suggest improvement for next time. C&C is only helpful if there is more to the feedback than "it's good" or "it's not good".