POTD 20 September 2014 - Drum Beat

[Mike Farley]

I am not sure that I would ever submit this into competition. The wrong judge who was unsympathetic would have a field day with all the "faults" such as the movement on the centrally placed drum, but for me it those things which make the picture.

[davidb]

It's a marching band - why wouldn't you have movement. Some judges are just not worth their salt.

It's an interesting shot. I'd liked to have seen the full face of the central figure and not have the figure on the left. I don't mean crop it - just not have the figure. But then there's not much you can do about that, is there? It's what you were presented with.

[Mike Farley]

It's a marching band - why wouldn't you have movement. Some judges are just not worth their salt.

Unfortunately some judges can be very formulaic in their approach. There are quite a number I would not trouble with this, but there are a few judges we saw last season from whom I would be tempted to get an opinion.

It's an interesting shot. I'd liked to have seen the full face of the central figure and not have the figure on the left. I don't mean crop it - just not have the figure. But then there's not much you can do about that, is there? It's what you were presented with.

The shot is really about the band and the beating of the main drum, not the people. For me, not seeing the most of faces adds a sense of mystery - what do they look like? The gaze of the one person whose face we can see on the right is bringing the viewer back into the shot. She is definitely needed.

Thanks for the comments.