Alrighty. Regardless of the fact that this A or B series (here, here, and here) has been really interesting for us, helpful, and popular with you (the last such post received over 1000 comments in 24 hours)…
This time it is of even greater interest for us. You see, we’re doing some image editing around here and we’ve stumbled into a little internal debate about which one of these two images is actually better, A or B. [You might remember these shots from the Nikon D7000 campaign…]
Hearing from you will help really help us. No qualifiers, don’t worry about our objectives, or the “assignment”. We want to know which one of these shots you like better. And please tell us in the comments below, not via twitter. Raw preference. Period. If you can add some “why”, that would be nice too. Full 600 pixel wide images after the jump. Hit ‘continue reading’ below [and btw, I’ve got a $1 gentlemen’s bet riding with Erik about which one will win, so don’t let me down!]…
After you all weigh in, I’ll tell you which one I like, which one I thought you’d like, and why.
This is image A, below:
This is image B, below:
So which photo is better? A or B?
B: it is clean and the photo unfolds a story by itself. The other photo has no clear message because it gets tied up in the lighting, color treatment, busier background. B is just simple and makes you explore the frame after first seeing the subject.
b wins. Model’s Attitude, composition, color palette, It makes the picture wholesome.
Sun in A is nice, but the head is cut off in the shadow which is not to my taste. Also there is something odd about the white balance in A. Its got a mix of all sorts of lights!! A bit off key is what i can describe best about A.
It’s hard… but I think B, mostly because the pose in A looks awkward and unnatural. I do like the lighting in A and the fact that you can actually see the turbines, but B still takes it.
While reluctant to offer the 867th comment and without reading any one of those posted, I recommend “B”. It’s more balanced in terms of composition, while providing a stronger focus on the woman and her companions in the background. I am also drawn in to a point where I discover the windmills in the background. “A” doesn’t draw me in nor does it prompt me to look closer at the details.
B. It is a more engaging and multi-dimentional image in that the contrast between the model and the background and lack of background detail provides model focus, but at the same time the lighting on the men in the background allows one to see that they are clearly focused on something which provides us some thought process as to what the scenario truly is.