I am in a period of realignment. As I talked about in my last post, I’m shifting old things around to make room for new things. As I shed responsibilities, there are moments it feels great. I feel free and unencumbered as I drop things away. Then I wonder if I’ve shed too far… When I discovered this morning I’ve left the pizza dough half made on the counter all night (the yeast isn’t even mixed in) and I look at my desk, piled two inches high in stuff that needs to be sorted.
Ah well. That’s what realignment is all about isn’t it? Figuring out what has to stay and what can go. Sometimes that takes ignoring things for a while, to see how important they are.
I’d better get on that pizza dough though, if we want dinner tonight!
I have a quick question for you today… I completed this image, “Canopy,” as a vertical, and after it was all done, decided to crop it to square. I’m still torn between the two. Which do you think works better? Why?
As originally Created:
Square:
I prefer the square one, though I’m not sure I can articulate why. First, I think it’s a more interesting and dynamic composition with the canopy’s opening being off center. But also, it feels more “comfortable” to me as a viewer – sort of grounded by a more natural viewpoint. Seeing more of the trees at the bottom makes it feel as if I were standing there looking up. It actually gives me a better sense of the forest canopy than the larger view does…more of a sense of place, which I like.
You really described what made me crop, Lee. I get more of a sense of the trees from the trunks at the bottom, and I liked the off-center opening as well. Thanks for giving me words for it!
I prefer the square. For me it is the difference between an objective experience and a subjective experience.
The original is beautiful; my eyes are drawn to the sky opening, the branches, the tree trunks, the mottled leaves. I would admire it for its components and as a whole.
The cropped square, however, pulls me in. Like Seablulee, I like that the opening is off-center, but it is more than that. I fleetingly examine each element, but am drawn in by the invitation of that opening. I want to linger and look and think and dream.
I saw the square one on Instagram first and kept coming back to look at it again and again. My thought at the time was that it would be perfect in a medical waiting area where stress is high; there is a comforting, soothing, hopeful quality that I get from this piece.
Oh, wonderful. I’ll take “comforting, soothing, hopeful” as descriptive elements on my photos any day! Thanks for your great description of what works for you in the square version. That helps!
at first glance I immediately said the square one, but then I thought about it a bit more. I think it depends what I want from the photo. The square one pulls me in to the opening, and I lose sight of the surroundings, but on reflection, the original makes me feel more relaxed – like I am lying on the ground looking up to the treetops. I’d probably view the original with the right side as the “bottom” (if that makes sense). I might have to come back and look again another day!!
Isn’t that always the case, it depends on what we want from a photo, which version is better. I guess if I were more clear on what I wanted, it would be easier to choose! I agree with you on the lying-on-the-ground-looking-up feel of the vertical though. Thanks for your thoughts!
I actually like the vertical better. Having a bigger eye view if the foliage and rising trunk give it a towering effect. As a visceral experience I float inside this image. The expanse allows me to breathe deeper.. slower. The perspective is a richer experience for me, I feel encompassed by the trees.. feel like I have room to stretch, breathe, be still.
The square crop in comparison to the vertical feels cramped and claustrophobic to me. In doesn’t allow the context to encompass my body the way the vertical does.
Cool! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I have been going back and forth for some time trying to choose my favorite and, more importantly,determine the “why” of my choice. They are both wonderful – such amazing and complex textures and colors. But I think I prefer the vertical orientation – it provides a greater sense of the “tallness” of the space, enhancing the majesty of the trees. The darkness around the edges pushes my eye into the light-filled center, keeping me within the frame. And the opening in this version resembles a star – an added metaphorical symbol.
I prefer the vertical image because it pulls me in more. There is room for my eye to wander and it feels more spacious.