Steps

Shawn,
Very striking image. As I look at it, I'm wondering why it works so well -- the implied vertical line of the corners isn't quite divide the image into 1/2 or 1/3. The sense of substance in the steps must balance the slightly off-center component. Very nice.
John

I did not think I would like this image from the thumbnail, but after looking at a larger scan of it...there is just something that holds my attention in the image. I know this sounds sorta funny...but I have been really into turning pictures upside down and viewing them for their form and design, rather then what they are in real life. When I turned my head upside down on this image, it takes on a completely new meaning and form and is really quite interesting. I never thought I would be doing something like this, but I was looking thru alot of old Brett Weston prints, and saw many images that he just simply..TURNED UPSIDEDOWN!!! They were simple landscape when the normal dirrect and easy to reconize as a landscape, but when upside down, probably 99% of the viewers would see it as some crazy abstraction and would NEVER guess it was a landscape! If you have his book for 50 years, I believe...take a look in there. There is a few images upside down.

Shawn, I quite like this photograph- at first glance it resembles a constructed graphic design more than it does a photograph. Upon closer examination the fine details and textures provide a nice additional dimension. Have you considered whether some discrete cropping along the top, left, and bottom edges adds or detracts from the impact of the design? All the best, Daniel

Thanks for the great response everyone! JT - This doesn't really fit the rule of thirds or any other rule, at least I hope not . I think dlin hit the nail on the head when he observed that "the fine details and textures provide a nice additional dimension." The fine detail and texture played a huge part in the composition and was what attracted me to the steps in the first place. Of course being a contact print they play a much bigger role in the actual photograph than on the scan and balance the image in a way that kept me from using any discrete cropping. Ryan - I believe this does work when turned 90 degrees, a friend mentioned the same thing, but I played around with it and decided I prefer it as is. Thanks again, doc.