I was just recently commissioned for a campaign and shot about 1000 images to capture final image for this well known sports company. In the end, it came down to the two images above. As is usually the case, the final image is tough to choose, with lots of factors under consideration, lots of stakeholders picking their favorite. There was much debate.
I’ve posted stuff like this before and was really excited by the resulting discussion, so I figured I’d throw it out there again… WHICH IS BETTER, A or B?
Vote in the comments. Love to know ‘why’ if you care to explain your thoughts. 600 px wide versions of each image after the jump…hit [‘continue reading’ below]. After you all weigh in, I’ll tell you which one was used and why.
This is PHOTO A, below.
THIS is PHOTO B, below.
It all depends on the identity the company wants to embrace… but A is too standard or everyday. I agree that the glare seems too much in B, but hands down it’s more memorable.
My vote is for photo B. You said that this project was for a well known sports company so I will assume there will be some type of branding added in the form of a logo or text, therefore, the flare in photo B provides the perfect spot in which to interweave the branding. The cement lamp-post in Photo A severs the image in half leaving the viewer bobbing back and forth between the parked cars and the runner and ultimately creating unrest. However, that could quite possibly be your/their intention: “contrasting the gas-guzzling littered urban landscape with a breath of fresh air hurdling down the walkway…the choice is yours?” I do still believe that with all of the competing lines in Photo A, it will be much more of a challenge to add a logo/text and still make it all jive.
There is no right or wrong answer, especially since no context was provided (i.e., background on the client’s objective). Judging by my own context, I find both pictures to be defective: (A) has lens flare that doesn’t appear to have any enhancing effect and (B) is completely dominated by the excess of light. I like (A) better though (B) appears to be more prepared.
A – B has too much flare.
A for Me