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. I love the lighting and mood in image A, but the composition of image B really stands out to me.
Another for B… appears more dynamic as she seems to be moving away from the van. Makes me wonder why she’s leaving where’s she going etc. ie provides a more open ended storyline. A – just feels they’re being busted out in the desert.
B
for composition and contrast – works better overall
All of the other “which photo is better” posts you have done are fair but I don’t believe this one is. The two images above aren’t even comparable. The reason I say this is because image “A” looks like a digital polaroid that your assistant took to check the light. For example, there’s no content (story) or depth to the image. The model’s posture and expression look like she was not expecting the image to be taken. The model looks completely out of place and the lighting, windmills and her cloths all add up to a distracting mess.
Image “B” on the other hand has many strong editorial qualities and tells a great story. The image is alive and it leaves me wanting more and I start to ask it questions. I find myself engaging with and investing myself in this image.
I become engaged by allowing my mind to ask questions about what is happening… I can’t help but to wonder why this beautiful woman would allow herself to be in the middle of nowhere with these sketchy men in this even sketchier van. Is this a drug deal? Is she paying them off for something? How did the bring her here? What are the men looking at now, they are obviously no longer interested in the woman. It looks like it’s starting to get dark… now what? Where is she going?
I invest myself in the image by developing my own story to answer the questions that my mind has asked.
So my favorite is definitely B.
B: Feels more natural and dynamic. The subject is also feels easier to engage with.