Different positions in the frame

The subject for this project was a carving on the tower of a church at Antoigny in Normandy, France. The carving is located quite high above the main door of the church set in the stone wall of the tower. The photographs were taken on an overcast afternoon using the 70-210 mm zoom lens at about 135mm.

1. Central subject in landscape format

2. Upper right subject in landscape format

3 Right off-centre subject in landscape format

4. Upper right subject portrait format

5. Upper left subject portrait format

Image 1 has the benefit that it reveals the large stones on either side of the tower. However background stonework does not add significantly to the image, and it is rather bland.

Images 2 and 3 are less symetrical. However placement off centre right does not seem in sympathy with the form of the carving where the dominant mounted figure and his horse both face to the right.

Images 4 and 5 are in portrait format with the subject in the upper half of the image. This seems preferable to the landscape format as it suggests the height of the carving on a tower.

Image 5 is more succesful, in my view, partly because the magnification of the subject is slightly larger, and partly because the figures in the carving are looking across the image from top left to bottom right.