Need your criticism urgently.

[Hoogle]

Ok I have just progressed in a round for a competition it has 5 stages and well lets say the winner gets a great opportunity. So I know I have displayed the image in the weekly challenge but this is for some fresh eyes. I set out to do the challenge and saw potential so have worked on it some more. Which 1 do you prefer.


the original image I took unprocessed or corrected.


I basically would like to know out of the top 2 which do you prefer I think the 2nd 1 is a bit flat. If you would change it how would you change it maybe a mix between the 2 and meet in the middle.
The theme is add drama to a picture for enhancement. This really is any comment goes if you dont like it say so I have come quite far in this photography competition already so really need to be producing a high level of work so if it doesnt make the cut then say so.

[RedneckR0nin]

Are you based more on the photography aspect or the manipulation or editing aspect of the image...or the image as a whole?

[sprucemagoo1]

I preffer the second one with pailer skies, though I'm just not sure lightning has any place in this image as the clouds look strangely moving as they are.

[Hoogle]

it is a photography competition but with 5 categories and 3 of them is digitally manipulating your image some how this particular section is the crazy and wacky part which is to dramatically change the image

[Hoogle]

Ok so ditch the lightning maybe add a bit more contrast to the 2nd 1 maybe

[Hoogle]

Oh and just so you know either way the image has to be remade all together as this is not full resolution I made it smaller just for the weekly challenge.

[webwize]

Hi Hooligan

I'm the first to admit my knowledge is limited but I much prefer the first one, if I was to make any comment it would be that the "bright colours" on the back ground jumps look a little out of place with the rest of the image, toning these down would help "pop" the foreground a little more, perhaps blurring the a little would enhance the horse and rider further. I actually like the lightning especially the smaller area in the bottom right of the image.

Good luck in your competition.

webwize

[RedneckR0nin]

I am fairly traditional and more photography based than anything.

The clouds along with most of the equipment don't work because of the outlines and breaks in them form a majority of scattered patterns which are jagged. Jagged lines suggest erie or sinister emotion.

If it were me and composition wise I would crop out everything but the front of the horse and the back ground making the horse much larger. Then proceeding to make that have a strong outline and sharper image...as well as the crop out of everything is making it horse@ 70% of the image jumping through the image into oblivion instead of horse jumping around in a field...maybe with the lightining go vertical lineage throughout the shot and break it around the horse...this conveys strength and leads the viewer to view the horse as the main focus point. Vertical lineage with curves can also work for a softer effect on this conveyance!

Again that is photo theory and rules ..which IMHO are made to be broken but a old schooler film junkie would probably tell you that and leave over vibrant and over saturated urges alone!

I hope that helps in some way if at all!

[Hoogle]

I agree as a photography point of view I Hate centered sublects in images but after about 50 attempts at shoioting the horses in mid air and cutting them off in the frame I started to play it safe. I also could not really find a good crop point that worked. I was going to make it into a 3d picture and have the horse jumping out of its picture and into another picture if that makes sense but then I would be loosing most of the drama which is the the criteria. I guess as a photography point of view the shot is ruined by the effects but this is not a classic photography competition it is for the processing side to completely transform an image. I quote 1 line of the rules "Go Crazy forget the rules" and yet it is not an actual imagination contest where you can blend multiple images and make a surreal dream concept thing. The image has to be 95% 1 image and you can add elements etc. Can you demonstrate your crop as I have tried tighter crops but if you take it from the sky you loose a lot of drama and if you take it from the field you loose balance. I May try and clone out a lot of the elements in the field or I may browse through all my horse pictures from that day and see if I have a more isolated image of the horse jumping or start all over again in a new direction. I have to many doubts about this image now. I have until the 15th so maybe get my camera out and start looking for something new. Yes you have to use your own photo.

[iDad]

"doesnt make the cut then say so."
doesnt make the cut
I have never seen a competition in weather (and I have seen hundreds)with such menacing clouds or lightning .........Maybe with a beautifully lit shy (sundown) or something but lightning, storm clouds? nahhh