Photo of the Week 2017-01-16

I've recently had a couple of conversations online regarding how I "see" what I photograph, so ... here's my thought process while creating two different compositions, two quite different interpretations of one scene.

Composition can significantly alter mood and feel and it can make or break an image. That's one reason I usually survey the location and make a number of different images from different viewpoints or at different focal lengths when I'm out photographing.

An example of this can be seen in the two images below. For this first image, I used a tighter crop, zooming in on the scene (43mm with my 24-105 Sigma on 5D MkIII according to EXIF). This composition creates a dramatic image, emphasizing the warm orange-gold glow of the sun spilling into the clouds and reflecting onto the ice and open waters of the bay. I chose to position the ice ridge in the foreground bottom of the image to provide an anchor point for the viewer to step into the scene. I also decided to place the horizon in the centre of the image vertically, against the "rule of thirds", as I preferred a balance between cloudy sky and frozen waters.

Huron Sunset I (2017-01-14)

For this second image, made while standing in the same spot, I zoomed out (24mm with my 24-105 Sigma on 5D MkIII according to EXIF) to include more of the surrounding grey sky, ice and shoreline trees. I still chose to place the sun 1/3 of the way into the frame from the left but I lowered the horizon a touch, otherwise I felt there was too much foreground with little interest. I also decided on a slightly brighter exposure by 1/3 stop to lighten the foreground ice and snow. This alters the mood of the image to some degree, making it less dramatic but more pleasing in my opinion. The result is an image showing the context of a glorious Huron sunset

Huron Sunset II (2017-01-14)

To me, they are both print worthy images. I like both, for different reasons. You can let me know what you think.

DJE