Breaking composition rules

[Todd Frost]

Not the traditional comp (I took plenty of those) but I like it, interested in your opinions.
D300, 400 2.8 w/1.4tc, 1/1500, f4, iso400, man exp, awb.

Thanks for looking, comments and critiques appreciated.
Todd

[Jay Gould]

Todd, it is a wonderful habitat image. I would crop from the top and the right side just enough to remove the tree in the UPHC. Cheers, Jay

[Tell Dickinson]

Hi Todd, I think this works quite well :) As he is looking out of the frame I do not know what he is looking at and my 'mind' then envisages a vast open drop which gives me a feeling for his isolation and remoteness - hope that makes sense :)

Tell

[Don Berendsen]

I think it works exceptionally well Todd. To me it creatively applies the principles of composition rather than breaking 'rules'. A wonderful image!

[Stu Bowie]

As shot, this shows the type of enviroment he lives in. Going back to form a conventional comp with him looking into space on the right, Im sure you would show the same terrein. Having said that, I feel this works for the reason that his stance follows the slope of the rocks. I like the inclusion of the snow.

[Bill Jobes]

To me, what makes this work is the fact that the brightness, tone and color of the rocks on the left are pretty close to the same on the ram's coat.

This factor, and the rocks themselves on the left add 'weight' to balance the ram on the right.

I like the wide crop which gives a very nice sense of place.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Todd,
The composition works for me. Infact, I would have composed it the same way as you have done with perhaps a little bit more at the bottom and less at the top (to remove the hint of the tree). A nice environmental image.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Fabs Forns]

My question here is, did you have as good looking rocks to the right of the subject? Any particular reason you decided to compose it this way?
The reason I ask is, there should be a reason to break the guidelines and I don't see it apparent here.
Sometimes we experiment and try different things and that is a good thing.
In my honest opinion, this would have been much stronger if you had waited got the subject t turn his head the other way.
Since I was not there, I can figure if moving the camera to your right and pacing the negative space in front of him would have yielded a good looking background.

What I'm trying to say, and take it from one who loves to break rules, is that rules or guidelines are there because they work, and there must be a good reason to work against them and I don't really see it here.
Jut my opinion, though.

[Dave Mills]

Agree with Fabs about having a reason to break the rules. I would crop the tree out of the top and not crop the right since there is so little room there.

[Morkel Erasmus]

this is a splendid shot! I love breaking the 'rules' - in this case the image has great feel to it, as said you can feel the harshness of the terrain. I agree on cropping from top and right to remove the tree.

[Ian McHenry]

Hi Todd
I can see what the others are saying about the top right tree as it does give a 2nd point of interest.
But I like it there, as it gives a good feel and balance to the overall image.
To me the image looks really good as is.
Cheers: Ian Mc

[Steve Canuel]

Really like the habitat and pose here. I have a few of these "rule breakers" myself. I like the feel of "a look back pause" while moving in a different direction.