Following the leader

Knot Garden at Barnsdale

This is another picture that I took on the Photography course at Barnsdale at the weekend.  This photo is trying to emulate one taken by the instructor, although it is not exactly the same (different camera, different lens, different photographer).

The idea is that the Knot Garden is unique to Barnsdale, and, hence photos showing this garden may sell well to anyone writing about these gardens.

In terms of composition, the lines are meant to lead the eye back to the statue in the foreground.  This part of the picture should be sharp and show the details of the ammonites etc on the sculpture, whilst the background is less sharp, but sharp enough to show the context of the garden (although mine is, by dint of being taken using my Ixus much sharper than his photo).

I don’t know whether it is just me, but, a bit like the previous photo, I find the picture a little dull.  I don’t think it is the exposure and lighting, just the subject and composition.

I think I want to take photos that are a little less formulaic, although how easy that is in a garden where the designer wants you to see a particular image and where the garden is often roped off, I am not sure.  Maybe I just need to take the photo that I see, and not just follow someone else’s composition.

In case you are interested, settings were ISO 200, 1/640 secs, f/3.5, focal length of 8.46mm.