Your Opinions Please - Which one is better?

[haggis63]

I was going to add these to my

What do Cars, Lizards, Pipers, and Steam Engines have in Common? - ( Click here to see it ) (http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=113766)

thread so as not to clutter the forum. However the last two photos I added to that thread never got a single reply. I guess either people don't go back to threads they have already visited or else my photos are getting more and more borring :) In any case, that's the reason I'm posting these seperately.

These two shots are of the a viking bonnet emblem from a 1935 Rover 14. (I think you call them hood ornaments in the US.) I'm undecided as to which shot is better so please tell me your opinion. Of course you may feel that they are both lousy. That's OK too. You can still tell me what you think but just break it to me gently :D

#1
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/18-Jun-2003/9739-car-show4.jpg

#2
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/18-Jun-2003/9739-car-show6.jpg


Alan

[Crias]

I prefer the top one, and find the green more detracting. Perhaps if it was darker. Cool hood ornament!

[katcocat]

I prefer the top one too. I think it says 'all machine' whereas the second one says 'machine against a background' - if that makes sense to you :D I do actually like them both but the first one is much more dramatic. Which fits in with the actual bonnet emblem. Must admit I'm quite jealous, I drive a rover (my pride and joy!) and really wish it had one of these on the front. Then again, in the middle of the city it would probably be vandalised every two minutes by people 'treasure hunting'! So perhaps it's just as well, I don't have one.:D
Kate. PS Your photos aren't boring!!!!

[SunnyJon]

I like the first best but like them both. The first is abstracted somewhat & you know I like abstract. The second actually works well with the green lawn & the reflection of the lawn in the front of the car too-makes a good comp. The first one though is just awesome with all that metal and the lines all lead to the viking-nice shot! Never seen anything like this before! In this country they actually frown on hood ornaments and they have to be break aways (on a spring or something) so no one is impaled on them in wrecks!:D :clap: :clap: :clap:

Anything but boring! You are have the best links, pics, info, etc!! I find the forum is either very slow or strange in some way lately-I can't put my finger on it except that a lot of our regulars are not posting much and some of the newbies don't reply very much to other folks threads. Just my 2 cents worth!

[jsr88]

Now *this* is going to sound strange. I *like* the green of the second one and was going to make the comment that the ornament would make a great subject for manipulation.

The "strange" part is the reflection of the chrome. I've looked at it and looked at it again. I know the auto must have been beautifully polished, with not a blemish, but at first (make that the second) glance, the clouds and sky, and the surrounding grounds reflected make it look like a very poor PSP "smudge" or "push" has been applied to the chrome area. :D

Now, I know for certain that "Haggis" would *never* make a manipulation that obvious, so I looked again! LOL And NOW I see "Haggis" *IN* the reflection. So I know for certain it's an excellent photo!

Whoa! What an optical illusion!

:clap: :clap: :clap:
Thanks for making me *look* at the shots more than once! ;)

[TeAnne]

I love #2. Holy Hell, it jumps out. Excellent.

[ChynaRose]

Hi Alan! They both are captivating, but because they are here together, I like the first one better. I wanted to zoom in on the face & study it. My eye did not even notice the car. I like the face & feel I want to study it. I think you could have a lot of fun manipulating both these images into something neat, but as photographs I really enjoyed them & think they work wonderfully! I have NEVER seen a hood ornament over here like that!!!

I also enjoyed your pictures of Scotland. My family is from Scotland. Never been there. Maybe someday!

Lea

[Pam_R]

Nice shots, Alan! I also like the second one, with it's cleaner bg. I find the area behind the head distracting in the first image. However, I do agree with the previous poster who found the green a bit of a distraction in the second image. Maybe if you converted the image to b+w...something like this? ...

[Margie L]

Haggis--Hood ornments/ bonnet emblems are one of my favorite things to shoot when I am at a car show. So often the cars are parked in ackward postions that don't let you get a good photo. Hood ornments you can zero in on and get nice shots.

I like the green backgound on the second one and don't feel that the color distracts at all. The clean background lets you concentrate on the hood onament. I also like the first shot because of it's almost monochromatic style--All silver and black. Got to love that chrome. :D

That Viking is great. Wish that we had a 1935 Rover 14 around here so I could add it to my collection. Our foot ball team is called the Vikings. I am sure that one of them would love this emblem.

Glad that there is another bonnet emblem collector here at WC.
;)

[Rich]

I must have missed the first post. I like the second photo. It has a less cluttered BG. The green could be lightened a bit in saturation as it tends to dominate. Good work!

[tmcclary]

I like them both, but for very different reasons. So the answer to which one is better would depend on what you want to acheive with the photo.

The first I love as an image of art in industrialization. The hood ornament is what my eye is drawn too, but as a part of a whole. While the focus here is on a small part of the car, the image gives the impression of the entire vehicle as a work of art. On a more technical side, I really like how the reflections came out and add to the feeling of smoothness on the car.

The second one makes me giggle, in a good way. It brings to mind a mighty viking warrior transported in a modern world, riding the "high seas" with the wind blowing in his hair. My attention here is drawn to the hood ornament by itself, without any real feeling for the car.

[drapier]

I think the green backround really makes the ornament pop out of the image

[wandathefish]

Both are amazing photos. All I can speak to is how they make me feel. The first feels sort of dark and threatening and the second is uplifting and triumphant:D :clap:

[JustjoGA]

I like the green bg one.... the otehr is too mono for my pref...

[sherloc]

Alan I think they are both great but I like #2 better just cause it's simpler.
That is the coolest hood ornament I've ever seen.
Kate I used to drive a jaguar. Had someone try to take my hood ornament off with a screwdriver once. Fortunately it was an older car and the ornament was not a break away. Scratched the heck out of the paint tho. Grrrrrrr!!

I've never heard of a Rover. I have a Range Rover. It's a British Motors car. Is this one by the same company?

[Zarathustra]

Never boring Alan, I just think some forums move at such a pace that people don't always get a chance to reply! That or maybe your photos left people speechless. ;)

Great detail on these photos, though I'm glad I don't own a car with one of these protrusions!

[haggis63]

Thanks everyone for a great response to this thread. It seems your opinions are as varied as my own thought on these shots. Thank you all!

Julie - Thanks, I never noticed my reflection but now I see I'm in both shots. Took me a while to find myself though :D My sons in the first one too. He's the skinny one :D

Zar - Good to see you around. Speachless aye? LOL :D

Originally posted by sherloc
I've never heard of a Rover. I have a Range Rover. It's a British Motors car. Is this one by the same company?

Well the simple answer would be, YES. The more more complicated answer would be:

1948 First Land Rover made by the Rover Motor Company
1967 Rover Motor Company merges with Leyland.
1968 Leyland merges with British Motor Holdings (Jaguar) forming the British Leyland Motor Corporation
1970 Range Rover Introduced
1975 Renamed British Leyland, Ltd.
1988 British Areospace buys Rover Group from British Government
1994 Rover Group is acquired by BMW Group
2000 Ford buys Land Rover from BMW

I didn't get a good shot of the whole car but you can see it in this one. It was the prize winner in it's category. (Post Vintage Cars - 1931 - 1929)

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/19-Jun-2003/9739-car-show11.jpg

Alan

[DuncanBerenice]

Hi Alan

image 2 is my preference, my reason being that I'm finding the windscreen a distraction in the 1st, I beleive that the compisition (not that I'm an expert) is very pleasing to my eye in photo 2 :D

Duncan

[marilyn h]

Commenting before I see what others voted for. I like #1 the best. All the chrome and colors are the same.

[SunnyJon]

Thanks for posting thelast one of the entire car-gosh it's gorgeous! No wonder it won!:D :clap:

[Oldthumbs]

:D :D No Comment :D :D

[Oldthumbs]

Sorry, couldn't resist the temptation. :D

I like them both, also, but as has already been said, it depends on what you are trying to accomplish. I think the second one is best if you are trying to capture the fact that it is a hood ornament (or bonnet emblem :)). The first one is good, but the image is more confusing and does not plainly say "hood ornament." OK, that's my two-cents worth.

Ray

[Nicta]

Hi Haggis,

I love both pictures, the first is dramatic, a bit like the Viking spirit. Whereas the second really shows of the Viking hood ornament well. As to which is better,it depends on what you want from the shot.

As a new one to the site I have enjoyed looking at everyones pictures and found them all interesting. As Sunnyjon said, the newcomers should try more to reply to others on site.



Nikki

[Bobby D]

I think I must be going senile Haggis, I was absolutely certain that I posted this reply yesterday, but doing a quick check - no post (I must have clicked Back instead of Submit. :confused: )

I was going to say two superb photographs but now I see that it's three! (What was I saying about senility?)

Seriously , Alan, your shots of the viking bonnet emblem are both splendid. I think I prefer the first one although I can't just put my finger on why. Maybe it's the fact that he's looking straight at me.

The third photo just adds the extra historical interest to the thread.