> I think that the other cattle head and the human in the background pull our attention away from the bull.
> The bulls head is pointing downwards. I know animals are some of the hardest creatures when you're taking photos, but this pulls our eyes down. See, the rule of thirds in photography states that you should have the most space in whatever direction the animal/human is facing, so that we can get a glimpse of their line-of-view.
> The lead rope on the bull also takes away our attention. You will notice that a lot of photographers shoot their photos with the lines structuring the photo. For instance, on a street, they will take the photo in the middle of the street, so that the power lines lead away from the photo to create a vanishing point in the distance. This is because the human eye subconsciously follows lines; the lead rope here is leading us to nothing, dear.
> Lastly! You want to balance your photo. The only time you should have an animal this close up is if you're getting a face shot with little to no background. This is because it allows the audience's eye to wander over the areas such as the back and neck of the bull looking for a focal point, when the focal point should be the face.
But, you've got nice clarity in this shot and a very, very cute little guy.
Juniper
Questions? PM.
"I'd steal somebody's purse if I could google it and then download it." -- Firestarter
A few things, as June said, the other cow head and person are subtracting from your main focus. I think the lighting could have been a bit more dramatic to offer some various shadows in the hair and ground. I don't like that the eye is covered by the eyelashes. Seeing the eye of the animal helps the viewer to connect with the creature and also aids in adding another dimension to an image.
Overall, the picture quality itself is good I just think the composition could have been better. It strikes me has sad mostly. his horns have been cut off, he has a ring jammed through his nose and he's tied up in some sort of cage like place. Just my opinion though. I feel bad for him.
"Maybe Senpai ate Yuka-tan's last bon-bon?" ----Stupei, Ace Defective
In response to this-
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It strikes me has sad mostly. his horns have been cut off, he has a ring jammed through his nose and he's tied up in some sort of cage like place. Just my opinion though. I feel bad for him.
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In many countries, including Northern Ireland, it is illegal for cattle (except rare breeds, he is not a rare breed) to have horns as they can seriously injure other animals and people. So we are merely following the law and it has been done my a vet.
The ring is for control of the bull, and bulls are very dangerous animals to work with. With out the ring, many people could have been very seriously injured/dead. Again, this was done by a vet.
He was tied up as he was being shown at Balmoral Show. What this picture did not show was the size of the pen (not a cage) which was about 15 feet by 20 feet. Also, the bull was not tied up for all of the day, and he was only at the show grounds for a few hours.
And why do you feel sad for a bull which is in obvious great health? Maybe you should put your concerns on animals which are not so lucky, animals that are not looked after properly...
I would greatly appreciate, before making any other comments like this, that you find out the facts. Maybe you should look up the internet or something...
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Rant over, Thanks for the comments.
I'll keep them in mind for my next photos!
It is the artist's responsibility to convey whatever message they want to convey through their art. It is not the responsibility of the viewer to do any kind of research before viewing art. You are the artist and if you want me to feel something specific make sure your image is strong enough to make me feel exactly what you wanted me to feel.
Unless you plan on standing at your galleries and defending yourself and telling people exactly what they should know to understand what you're trying saying I suggest you remember that an opinion is an opinion. If someone does not get from your work what you wanted them to get you need to examine yourself and what you've done to try and see why you're image evoked the emotion it did.
I stand by the emotion your image made me feel. Your explanation does not change that. The position of your camera and the way the image was shot gives me the feeling of sadness. You clearly do not agree and that is great for you, but as an artist you need to understand that when a million people view art you get a million opinions on it.
This is not intended as rude or mean, I am simply giving you the advice that you should not critique other peoples critiques. You posted art and I took the time to examine it and give you some constructive criticism. If you did not agree you should have ignored it and moved on. That is true for anything you post on this site or any other. As you can tell people do not take too kindly to others criticizing their opinions.
"Maybe Senpai ate Yuka-tan's last bon-bon?" ----Stupei, Ace Defective
