Second post: - Alternative critique re: composition ......a near classical triangular composition which suffers from the aforementioned problem with the stone disappearing off the bottom.......apart from that it just doesn't quite make the calssical format without slightly shifting POV......
Hi Alain......this is a very interesting and engaging subject but the image suffers some problems.
The tonal range of the image is not far off but the whole is tonally confused around the key parts of the action...did you shoot in colour and convert or actually shoot in B&W...to get the discipline of B&W one thing to try is to switch to jpeg....turn off the RAW option....and shoot in B&W...that way you will only have a B&W image......you have to see very differently, the way light and colour works in monotone is so different....
This is for me an over centered composition - the side areas are redundant and don't work the eye of the viewer...you would have got more out of it by shooting in portrait format......or converting it to a square format. The missing edge of the rock at the bottom isn't helping as it draws the eye off the bottom of the image quite strongly....gives an unbalanced feel......it makes what is otherwise a passive image (the whole story contaioned within the frame) a semi active image (something of the subject draws the eye to the possibilities or continuation of the story out of the frame).....the latter is something that doesn't work with this image as it is......a closer or more dynamic point of view would have worked very differently in this respect......in fact a slightly lower point of view would have worked well......this is such an interesting subject it was really worth working around to get the best angle and action......taking a film makers eye.....establishing, mid range, close up and ultra close from a range of points of view.......a B&W photograph like this is worth visualising before hand ......apply thought to the outcome before the urge to click....AAAH!! Now I realise it was taken with the Nikon Coolpix...so i imagine it was more of a snapshot than a 'worked' image.......but anyway...i still think it important to think beyond always having the colour option.....I know some people will disagree enromously with this......but that is them and this is me!!! ;-))
