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.
Depends on the size of the image when displayed and its final medium.
Original size (small)
Photo A – Bright Flare will make someone take time to actually look at an image they may otherwise overlook
Larger size
Photo B – In a larger medium, When you really get to look at the overall picture closely, the flare tends to be a little distracting.
That being said, if the medium is something like a poster that is likely to be overlooked, I would include the flare, as it is more likely to draw someone’s attention. If it is an image that the viewer will be forced to look at, say on a website in a blog post that is being read, the Image without the flare would probably seem more appropriate.
Keep up the great work.
Cheers,
Yannik
YannikRohrer.com
A. It has been said
Okay I’m going to be really difficult. I like the composition in Photo B, the use of line is better as well the runners stride. However I don’t like the excessive lens flare in this image. It distracts me and draws my attention away from your subject. I really like the lighting in Photo A. You can clearly see the subject and you are drawn to the runner with an initial glance which helps the image to communicate it’s intent.
So I would go A, purely because the flare is to overpowering in B. But if you could remove the flare in B, I think it would be a clear winner.
A
It feels like the obvious answer would be A, which is probably what prompted the question because the winner is most likely B. This would surprise most people, hence the value of the exercise.
There are a lot of unknowns (to us) that would factor into the decision (i.e., location of brand/copy as others have said). I think I would prefer B if the flare wasn’t smack dab in the middle… cropped to one side maybe.
But the psychology aside, I’ll be honest and say I would choose A.
So now I’ll wait to hear why I’m wrong. 😉
Im going with “A”, i like the all around mood of it. I would like “B” more if the cars weren’t in the frame.