# Two Rural B&W Shots



## PixelRabbit (Nov 21, 2012)

Here are two shots from yesterday, I chose B&W in the first one because it really intrigues me and the sky was pure white (foggy day).  The second again, because of the fog it was falling short in colour.
Would love to hear your thoughts, thanks for taking a look!


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## ronlane (Nov 21, 2012)

Hey PixelRabbit, you need to go tell that farmer to move those hay bails into straighter lines. He's causing all kinds of problems. :lmao:

Nice shots, I like them both.


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## PixelRabbit (Nov 21, 2012)

Lol thanks Ron


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## fjrabon (Nov 21, 2012)

mind posting them in original full res color so I can take a stab at editing?

Good shots, btw.  

First would probably be better served with the building somewhere else in the frame.  The very slightly off center composition rarely works all that well.  Centered can work (despite what you will read here) and off center can work, but right on the edge of centered and off centered makes people just think you messed it up.


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## Derrel (Nov 21, 2012)

BOTH COULD BE TREMENDOUSLY IMPROVED through the inclusion of a few very carefully-positioned compositional devices. I would submit that both these shots would be much,much stronger if you had just taken the time to include what we Americans call high-tension lines, or what you folks north of the 54-40 line call "hydro lines".


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## ronlane (Nov 21, 2012)

Derrel said:


> BOTH COULD BE TREMENDOUSLY IMPROVED through the inclusion of a few very carefully-positioned compositional devices. I would submit that both these shots would be much,much stronger if you had just taken the time to include what we Americans call high-tension lines, or what you folks north of the 54-40 line call "hydro lines".



Derrel, as I pointed out any compositional issues with the second one are automatically blamed on the farmer for not getting the leading lines right. He must not be using a John Deere tractor.


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## PixelRabbit (Nov 21, 2012)

fjrabon said:


> mind posting them in original full res color so I can take a stab at editing?
> 
> Good shots, btw.
> 
> First would probably be better served with the building somewhere else in the frame.  The very slightly off center composition rarely works all that well.  Centered can work (despite what you will read here) and off center can work, but right on the edge of centered and off centered makes people just think you messed it up.


Thanks Fj  I'd be THRILLED to see what you come up with! I uploaded jpegs of the unedited raws to my Flickr Flickr: Judi Smelko's Photostream 



Derrel said:


> BOTH COULD BE TREMENDOUSLY IMPROVED through the inclusion of a few very carefully-positioned compositional devices. I would submit that both these shots would be much,much stronger if you had just taken the time to include what we Americans call high-tension lines, or what you folks north of the 54-40 line call "hydro lines".





ronlane said:


> Derrel said:
> 
> 
> > BOTH COULD BE TREMENDOUSLY IMPROVED through the inclusion of a few very carefully-positioned compositional devices. I would submit that both these shots would be much,much stronger if you had just taken the time to include what we Americans call high-tension lines, or what you folks north of the 54-40 line call "hydro lines".
> ...


lol you are a couple of funny guys!


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## Derrel (Nov 21, 2012)

ronlane said:


> Derrel said:
> 
> 
> > BOTH COULD BE TREMENDOUSLY IMPROVED through the inclusion of a few very carefully-positioned compositional devices. I would submit that both these shots would be much,much stronger if you had just taken the time to include what we Americans call high-tension lines, or what you folks north of the 54-40 line call "hydro lines".
> ...



Ron, your *baleful* response shows a serious lack of respect for the non-John Deere tractor brands!!! 

Looks like the farmer is off the tractor in the second frame because he somehow managed to destroy a 1500-pound 5-tie bale...right? I can't tell exactly WTH he is doing, but it looks like he's got a bucket on the front end of an older *Inter-trashional tractor*, and he's on the *Case* there, with a pitchfork, while he decides how best to corral the busted-open bale....


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## timor (Nov 21, 2012)

Derrel;2775373 we Americans call high-tension lines said:
			
		

> Isn't Canadian name funny ? Credit to Pixel for skill in avoidance of them.


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## ronlane (Nov 21, 2012)

You're right Derrel. But all of this good ole' American commericalism just has me brain washed that "Nothing runs like a Deere."


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## PixelRabbit (Nov 21, 2012)

Damn, I'd get into the fun but alas we have a 1959 David Brown here at home... I got nothin'


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## PixelRabbit (Nov 21, 2012)

Timor, I should get brownie points for avoiding them IMHO!!


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## ronlane (Nov 21, 2012)

Pixel, you're baking brownies? We'll be right there. Then we can check out this tractor and discuss it over a hot brownie or 10.


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## Derrel (Nov 21, 2012)

PixelRabbit said:


> Damn, I'd get into the fun but alas we have a 1959 David Brown here at home... I got nothin'



I learned to drive tractor when I was 8 years old, on a 1949 John Deere Model M...and zOMG....this video..the SOUND at startup!!! And him pulling out into the barnyard...I will NEVER forget this sound....full throttle cutting hay with a sickle mower...raking hay with it on July days with an old side-deliver rake...pulling irrigation pipe wagons...pulling hay wagons...heading down the road in top gear headed back to the house (the ONLY time we were ever allowed to use top gear!)


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## PixelRabbit (Nov 21, 2012)

Just heading out the door to pick up a `new old farm truck, I shall check that out when I get home!


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## ronlane (Nov 21, 2012)

Derrel, it looks in amazing shape. Thanks for sharing.


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## fjrabon (Nov 21, 2012)

here are just the thoughts I had:




8206739962_e82ebfb27b_k by franklinrabon, on Flickr

Here, I thought the building on the left saved the image.  The original suffered from an issue of either being dead center, and statically boring, or being put in a traditional 1/3 line, but then being unbalanced, since there is nothing on either side of the original to balance it if it's off center.  After seeing the other building, I saw it as an opportunity to give a balancing point, allowing me to off center the main defunct silo.  The dark building adds a hint of mystery, and even though it's small in the image, the fact that it's so far to the left, and so dense and mysterious allows it to balance out the larger main subject.  Given the mood this created, I thought a very contrasty, grainy old film type look would work best to convey the atmosphere.  




8206745368_6e53a05cc8_k by franklinrabon, on Flickr

In the second image, I thought the key compositional tool were the implied lines of the bales of hay.  Their implied convergence, and constant reference size, plus the atmospherics of the image give it a sense of depth.  

The one upfront, plus the tractor form a powerful 1-2 punch giving the viewer a sight line to trace.  When you add in the two bales on either side of the tractor, you get a pretty powerful triangle, which gives the image a nice sense of order.  

The biggest drawback to the second image was DoF wise, it was neither deep enough to have everything in focus, nor shallow enough to use focus as a compositional tool.  You sort of have the upfront bale disconcertingly 'almost' in focus, but I couldn't really do much about that, other than gaussian blur, which just looked terrible.  So, DoF had to be left as is.


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## timor (Nov 21, 2012)

PixelRabbit said:


> Timor, I should get brownie points for avoiding them IMHO!!


You have them with me, Judi.


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## PixelRabbit (Nov 21, 2012)

Fj, thank you so much for taking the time to do the edits! I like your ideas and like your edit on the 2nd one muchMy internet  better than mine.  I'm on the fence on the first one I'm going to ponder it for a bit and look back at the other shots I took, I know that building is included in some of them, I may very well have chosen the wrong one as my favourite  I see the strength in it being in the shot.  I'm done editing for the night but I will take a look in the morning


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