Part 1: Exercise 2 - Object in different positions in the frame

Part 1: Exercise 2 - Object in different positions in the frame

In this exercise I was to place a subject in an even background and place it in different areas of the frame:

- right in the centre
- a little way from the centre
- close to an edge or corner

I found a sign on an interesting even brick wall that I felt I could use for this exercise, by making the images black & white I think it helped make the background stand out and emphasise the small sign within it.

Image 1: 1/15s f10 ISO 100 70mm

Image 2: 1/15s f10 ISO 100 70mm

Image 3: 1/15s f10 ISO 100 70mm

Image 4: 1/15s f10 ISO 100 70mm

These are the 4 images I have chosen as examples for this exercise. Image1 is the centred shot, image 2 the slightly off centre, image 3 in a corner and image 4 at one side.

I am surprised with these images because the one I feel works best and the most comfortably in the frame is image 1 (in the centre of the image). This is because I would rarely think of centring a subject in the frame as generally it is not easy to view and can make the image very structured and rigid. I would usually prefer a slightly off centre (image 2) or close to one side (image 4), but within this background where the bricks are very prominent I feel the centred subject is in the right place. It is possibly the pattern and tones of the surrounding bricks but it is almost as if there is a light, thick circle, hallowed around the sign which helps break up the rectangular dominance of the image.

The other images seem to me to make the sign a distraction instead of a part of the overall image and when viewing the eye gets lost and does explore the entire image where as with it centred the eye can work its way outwards to explored the surrounding bricks, missing none out.

I've found this exercise very interesting and only emphasises that there is never a set rule for placing a subject in the frame and never to get stuck with one concept and explore all positions before going with my final shot.

Only after downloading the images did I realise I had some motion blur in image 2 and this is something I should take more care with when simply increasing my ISO would have given me a more comfortable shutter speed for a handheld shot. Noted for future.