photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
ctfchallenge | all galleries >> Challenge 144 - CLUTTERED COMPOSITIONS >> Challenge 144 - Eligible > His Side
previous | next
12-OCT-2007 CJ in CA

His Side

While there is a lot of what is called "negative space" here,
the image still seemed cluttered with stuff to me. What do you think?

Canon EOS 350D
1/160s f/8.0 at 50.0mm iso1600 hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time12-Oct-2007 08:15:59
MakeCanon
ModelCanon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XT
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length50 mm
Exposure Time1/160 sec
Aperturef/8
ISO Equivalent1600
Exposure Bias-2.00
White Balance
Metering Modematrix (5)
JPEG Quality
Exposure Program
Focus Distance

other sizes: small medium original auto
comment | share
ctfchallenge21-Oct-2007 12:01
:-D We women have to stick together! CJ
Rod 21-Oct-2007 04:54
You don't have to tell her Carole because every time I have to cook dinner you know I've said something wrong....................& I'm cooking dinner to night:-)
ctfchallenge20-Oct-2007 01:39
Thanks b.c, Maurice and aam! And Rod........well, I'll have to talk to Mereana and tell her what you said - you'll be sorry! :-) CJ
aam1234 19-Oct-2007 09:07
Glad you brought it back, CJ. Really like it.
Maurice Allain17-Oct-2007 16:46
I really like this and the B&W conversion works really well
Rod 17-Oct-2007 07:15
Carole did a great job on this..............for a girl:-)
ctfchallenge17-Oct-2007 05:19
great composition - I like how the shape of the oval sink seems to push all the other items out to the extremes of the four corners. the fact that all the items are cut off at the edges of the frames helps here, too. so even though the sink seems empty, it's actually helping to "fill" the frame. I'd say this fits Tom's definition really well. great looking in b/w, too - b.c.
ctfchallenge16-Oct-2007 15:05
:-D Thanks Lydia, and Tom! Rod, you and the boys have been walking all over us girls as we haven't won a challenge since Sharon's win in Challenge 129! And I don't think you can count the speed challenge as there weren't very many entries. I don't expect to win this one but I'm hoping a girl can win this one, although it will be tough as we like things to be neat and tidy! :-) CJ
Rod 16-Oct-2007 07:51
Tommy don't weaken mate, stay strong otherwise the girls will walk all over you, I have footprints on me head to prove it:-)
ctfchallenge15-Oct-2007 22:08
Carole, I'm reversing myself. Leave it exactly as it is. Don't know where I came up with all that glop about soapy water and recropping. The "flattening" works to the esthetic I'm looking for, as does the crop. The washcloth and razor in the corners are perfect, as is the drain on the lower edge. So let's just say excellent edgework (I sound like a gardener now). Some images grow with time and this is one of those. -tv
ctfchallenge15-Oct-2007 20:50
I like it too, Carole. It's definitely cluttered and it fills all the edges and the corners. Works for me. ~Lydia
ctfchallenge15-Oct-2007 13:05
Since I haven't come up with an alternative shot, I'll leave this in eligible for the time being......besides, even with its faults, I kinda like it! :-D CJ
ctfchallenge14-Oct-2007 17:41
I'll try again but this topic is very difficult for me - I can't wrap my brain around this one! :-/ CJ
ctfchallenge14-Oct-2007 17:19
Carole, its ok to tidy up before shooting. "Clutter" means filling the frame, not necessarily with a mess. So pls be yourself because one of the most important elements of an image is your personal style. My initial reaction overall is an imbalance between the top and bottom clutter. The result is a profound flattening of the picture plane that is excessive because the upper details want to jump out and the bowl wants to recede. Try not cutting off the lower edge of the sink bowl and letting in some of the marbled base; or reduce the amount of detail at the top, or expand the crop to bring in a lot more periferal details. How about some soap and water in the bowl? Lots of possibilities. -tv
Guest 13-Oct-2007 15:55
Looks good. Personally, I think all the bases are covered so I'm also looking forward to Tommy's comments. -COAmature
ctfchallenge13-Oct-2007 14:11
Thanks aam and John! I actually did take a few shots at different perspectives but liked this one the best. A lower angle brought in the mirror in the back or the cabinet on the left side and I only wanted to include the sink and mess around it. CJ
John Prichard 13-Oct-2007 12:03
If only he had some toothpaste residue going down the sink to break up all the white. This is a great shot in that you fully captured the dynamic range of the bright sink and faucet all the way down to the shaving lotion cap. Nice. BTW, my sink that my wife told me to clean up yesterday is way more cluttered than this but at least I hang up the washrag for the practical purpose of drying.

If you rotated your perspective left or right and lowered your angle you could collapse some of the white in the middle. The shot would be harder though because you now have depth of field to contend for clear focus and you would have to use a telephoto to compress front to back. John
aam1234 13-Oct-2007 11:37
Excellent shot, CJ. The towel on the left is a good touch.
ctfchallenge13-Oct-2007 04:06
Thanks Rod and RK. This is a very difficult challenge for me. I keep looking at uncluttered places or want to straighten up cluttered ones! LOL! :-) CJ
Rod 13-Oct-2007 01:13
I'm not too sure about wot is on or off topic but I think Tommy is trying to get us to push the clutter all over the picy right out to the edges. Our eyes will then not focus on any particular part of the picy but will really notice the confines of the outer edges (frame)
Nicely shot megirl.
ctfchallenge13-Oct-2007 01:04
Good one CJ, like your bw treatment here. - RK