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.
First series: I like B. I like the lens flare effect, It adds environment and she’s emerging from, “the light” I also like the cropping as opposed to the second series of A and B. The dark car on the left is very distracting and my eyes jumps to it first as opposed to jumping to the runner. Good job Chasers! ~ Dov
I feel strongly that A should be the choice here. There’s plenty of definition for the eye to feast on, yet you still have that glow of the flare.
B seems to have a cataract and give me visual discontinuity. I spend more time trying to figure out what is covered by the flare than understanding what the image (and client) are trying to speak to me about.
I prefer A, I think it shows more detail
The outstanding photo is B because of the lens flare. A is just a good photo of a pretty girl running.
B is bathed in sunlight, the warmth oozes out of the centre of the frame. I know exactly how that sunlight would feel on my skin. I can picture the long shadows and sounds of the suburb as I run the same route as the model.
A is a picture, it’s very straight but doesn’t really tell me that much. It’s a capture of a moment in time, nothing more. It spoon feeds me the explanation of events and there’s not a whole lot to tell.
B invokes so much more of an emotional response, it pulls out memories of jogging in the summer and pulls the observer in to the neighbourhood.
On a photographic critique it also obfuscates the big streetlight post and diverts the eye to the detail nearest the light bleed, which just happens to be the girl.
In short B is for people with great imaginations and a sense of being, A is for people who need to hear stories at bedtime
Definitely B if you are wanting to call attention to the runner. Both feet are showing. The flare knocks out the background calling focus on the runner. I like the shadow better also as well as the warmth.