Smoke Shop. © Copyright 2020 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.
Night photograph of a man approaching the Millennium Smoke Shop in Lower Manhattan.
Something a bit unusual happened regarding this photograph. I originally post “it” a couple of week ago, but it a version that used a different aspect ratio, in “portrait” mode. In my initial way of seeing the photograph, that is what I had in mind, partly because I wanted the figure to look very small by comparison to other features and partly because there was something in the upper part of the frame that I thought I wanted to include. But literally within minutes of sharing the image I reconsidered and began to feel that a square crop would be more effective. It allows the figure to be a bit larger, removes a unnecessary distraction that dominated the removed upper frame, and generally seems to produce a more effective composition.
These things happen! And because one of my reasons for sharing daily photographs is to reveal the ongoing “practice” of making my photographs, I willing to be a bit open about my thinking and its evolution. First choices are often good choices… except when they aren’t. The particular trap I originally fell into is one that I’m usually on guard against, namely getting so attached to some marginal element of a photograph (in this case it had been a sign in the upper portion of the frame) that I failed to see past it and recognize that the image would be stronger by removing the subject of my focus.
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
Blog | About | Flickr | Facebook | Email
Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.
All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.