Building Your Portfolio - Refining Your Choices
From the first portfolio post, you guys have leaned toward the photo of the firefighter and rainbow. Now let’s look at a situation where you have two similar photos and can only use one. I have two church fires that both have rainbows in them. You have already seen them both but not side by side so lets take a run at this.
Frankly, I like both of these photos but I lean just a little more toward the dejected fireman even though the rainbow is certainly much better in the second photo. It is difficult to tell that this is a church burning in either case so that aspect of the decision is a wash. So let’s go from there and see what you would do in this situation.
Photos copyright The Decatur Daily. The opinions expressed in this blog are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer.
I prefer the first photo because there’s more action and I think you have a better sense that it’s a church on fire because you can see more detail in the stonework.
First one does catch my eye
first of all: both are great
but: imho the first one is too optimistic and the colors of the rainbow are too friendly.
the second moves me more because the overall situation, with the firefighter walking desperatly away and because the image is tilted walk up the hill what makes it not easier, fits to the destruction. But there is hope: the rainbow which is not popping but more subtle and on second view crossing the flames in the background
The second one again…the smoke gives a nice background to really let the rainbow and fireman shine. Though the first is a nice photo, I think that there’s too much going on to really appreciate the rainbow.
The first photo, with its vivid rainbow makes me think of the beauty that comes with the beast of a structure fire. Combine that with the strong diagonals in two directions and there is a terrific sense and impression of conflict – the essence of firefighting.
And, of course, that’s how we often feel while observing a fire in these circumstances: conficted.
It is fascinating, exciting and dreadful to see, all at the same time. When we look at the rainbow and firefighters in this photo we feel a tad ashamed and guilty and sad about admiring the graphic beauty and art in an inherently unhappy scene.
The second picture asks us to read more into it than actually may be there. I tend to see it as a weary firefighter breaking from the action for a bit with the odd accent of a rainbow tossed in. It is well captured, but still a fairly common fire scene. It needs the words you provided earlier to provide context so it can be understood accurately.
DB
Definitely the second. There’s a story there, waiting to be discovered.
DB Well said!
I prefer the first shot, its got a nice strong X and a sense of action.
The fireman is too small for me in the second photo and I like to see faces although his body language is clear. He also seems unconnected with the rainbow.
This is all rationalising the instinctive.. “Hey! I like the first shot” My mind did when the page loaded.