[Irma]

I am working with balance and composition in my pictures... What do you think?

Thanks a lot for your comments

[Schellamo]

That is absolutely FANTASTIC Irma!!
The composition takes my breath away, you are really communicating a feeling and emotion with this shot. I absolutely love it.

The only critique I can think of (and I'm not truly sure that it would add to the image, because I love it as it is) is perhaps to move slightly to the right so that the tree in the background is in the top left cross of your 'rule of thirds' but then again, rules are meant to be broken, and I really love this shot.

[Petographer]

Very nice image Irma. I find the sunlight on the ground distracting. Maybe reshoot at a different time of day for more even lighting? Or perhaps the sunlight on the lone leaf?

[matthew]

I like when photographers don't feel the need to show all of something. The leaf is the only thing that's included in its entirety, everything else -- the structure to the subject -- we only see as much as we need to. I appreciate that.

The diagonals are consistent and well used. The lines in the seat nicely match the shadow from the tree trunk. The strong vertical in the bench is a nice counterpoint to the angles, and serves to emphasize the 'naturalness' of the leaf.

My only quibble, and I may be reaching a little, is with the brightest highlights at the base of the trunk. Their position is just too prominent, and it's distracting. I'd carefully clone it out. And, while you have the clone tool out, I'd also remove those small chips/marks on the backrest.

Very nice work.

[Toad]

Hmmm. Pretty nice, Irma.

The first thing your eye is attracted to is the bright spot - then you wander to the the leaf and it all makes sense - a lovely little surprise.

I understand the quiblles about the bright spot listed already, but your eye should keep moving in a photo and in this case there is a payoff for continuing to look.

The brightest spot in a photo is always the first focal point - may want to keep that in mind in future.

Well done.

[EnglishBob]

Great shot, wonderful composition. I won't repeat the previous comments on the sunlight.

[Irma]

The good thing of this place is that I can go and take pictures again, perhaps early in the morning will help... There was a lit bench but it had a hard shadow and I though it wouldn't be nice... About the composition... I really like it as well, I feel very comfortable and I didn't miss to have to whole bench... I will try your suggestions as well with photoshop, when I have a little more time...

Thanks a lot for your comments and advice... I appreciete them very much...

[shuttertalk]

Beautiful composition Irma! I love how the chair frames the image, and the leaf is well placed in the foregraound. The glitter in the top left adds to the atmosphere... and everything looks natural and not "set up".

Suggestions - maybe move the leaf up a bit so that it's on the bottom-right "third"?

[Kombisaurus]

Wow Irma... another wonderful thought-provoking image loaded with emotion.

As the others have said, the composition of this image is excellent... but it is the message in this image (and many of your others) that is not only so strong but is so well communicated in the image. You bring a wonderful human/emotional element to your shots. Seeing how you can tell a story behind so many of your still-life shots, I'd love to see you tackle some portraits.

I don't think the highlights on ground around the tree detract from the picture at all. In fact, I think they really help *make* the picture. Those highlights draw the viewer to the many many fallen leaves around the tree, setting up the premise that the lone leaf in the foreground is seperated from "the crowd". I think it is this notion of seperation (along with an otherwise-empty bench) that gives this photo its emotional power. And I think you nailed it here.... providing sharp detail to the lone leaf and soft highlights to the background.
Perhaps putting a bit more emphasis on the foreground leaf with some kind of highlight might address the concerns the others have about the background dominating without it losing its importance.

I agree with what Matthew said about "not seeing things we don't need to" with regard to most of the elements extending beyond the edges of the image... but I also think this shot need not be cropped quite as severely as it was. Like ST, I think perhaps the foreground leaf is a little too close to the bottom edge, and perhaps seeing a little bit more of the bottom of the bench would be good too... but not much. I can appreciate that less cropping will effectively make the leaf smaller in the image, and I think it's a good size at the moment. But if the whole bench (with leaf) could move slightly up and to the left, showing more of it without moving the tree or background... that would do it - but then you'd lose the top edge of the bench, and I'm not sure that would look good. *sigh* Maybe you've already got the best compromise without going back and recomposing the shot? Certainly it is just a minor point anyway.

The colours, the light, the feel of the picture... its all just lovely

[Irma]

ST... Unfortunately, I lost a bit of position here at the moment I straighten the bench... but the idea always was to have it in the lower part... I found the composition a bit difficult because of the relation of sizes: bench - leaf, I think.

Kombi, Thanks a lot for your comment I took my picture with a zoom lense and I was too close, I think probably it would have been better to use the 50mm and give a bit more room to the leaf. On the other hand, when I see a picture with the subject exactly posisioned in the rule of thirds, it looks to me as if the picture had been taken following a tutorial... It loses somehow spontaneity... I think

About portraits, This is one I got few months back and I like it. I don't take many because I don't have family or relatives around to take pictures to. However, I have talked with my neighbour about taking a series of portraits and she has agreed, so probably very soon I will be able to post some...

Thanks again to all of you for your kind comments and advice...