Decisions: Which Do You Prefer?

After my trip to Napa Valley a few weekends ago, I decided that I have to enter one of my photos into the Napa Valley Mustard Festival Photo Contest this year.  With the submission deadline a week away, this is the driver I needed to fulfill my goal of printing my photography more this year.  So I have spend the day working through a few candidates for my submission, comparing them onscreen and on paper.  Surprisingly, the photo that I thought I wanted to submit has started to fall out of favor with both me and my wife (she’s a florist and has a very visually keen sense that I have learned to ignore at my peril).

So, it’s time for some crowdsourcing feedback.

Which of the following three photos (all from my wine country portfolio) speaks to you most?  Why?

Please leave a comment with your explanation.  I need some feedback in the next couple of days.  Afterwards, I’ll post a comment with which was my favorite and what points that my wife raised that made me second guess it.

9 Replies to “Decisions: Which Do You Prefer?”

  1. the last one (3rd). and after i saw that in XL size, i am even more sure (and my wife also:-) ).

    the focus on the red barn leaving the mustard on the front blurred gives a very nice contrast between the colors. and the option for the horizontal orientation gives a more wide view of the red/brown supports (i do not know the name of that) that compose the “mustard aisle”.

    the focal length is also very nice to show the deep of the mustard field (what was the lens you were using? and what was the focal length?).

    beautiful picture. good luck on the contest and post the result here. and let us know what (and why) was your choice to the contest.

    rafael

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  2. I guess that is the downside of contests right? The one that may fall out of favor with you or your wife may thrill one of the judges and visa versa.

    Personally I like the 2nd because it seems more dynamic to me, but to be honest, can really see how #1 or #3 would appeal just as much to someone else. 😉

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  3. The first one is my favourite. On one hand it has a hidden minimalism, on the other hand the other two are a bit too centered and “boring”, in my humble opinion.

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  4. My vote is for the third one.

    + strong visual direction, like the second one.
    + nice use of the supports for framing
    + nice use of color
    + overall, it says, “welcome”

    The second one is more visually striking and intense, in terms of visual direction than the third.
    However, sue to the falling off of the depth of field towards the bottom and the vertical composition, I feels more like a shot from a wedding. I’m almost seeing a bride and groom in the image. 🙂

    The first one, while strong with the parallel curved lines as patterns, doesn’t speak to me much. It feels a bit too evened out, like I was looking at the cutting grooves of a piece of jello or fish.
    I like it as a landscape in general, but as a “tie all the concepts together” shot, I think it is the weakest of the three.

    If, there had been some element in the shot, say.. A farmer or other element that brings that to mind, I thing it would give the first photograph a focal point, like the other two have.

    All three are beautiful compositions, and I’d be happy to have been able to shoot similar images myself.

    – Wing

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  5. Sigi and I like the last one the best. Offered the most elements. I thought the blue looked a little bright (but it could be my monitor). The reaction to the 2nd might have been better if it was the same size as the other two.
    Win it all!

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