How would you frame this shot?

[geetey]

Looking for some advice for a photo... Here's the background...

My grandmother is in the process of getting her farmhouse completely resided. This is not her residence, but a place our entire family has worked for years and years. She is 92 now and doesn't get up to the farm as often as she would like. I have been assigned the 'task' of getting a good picture of the house (and surrounding outbuildings if possible) so she can have something to look at.

My problem is that the trees have grown up in so many years that the house is blocked. There are two outbuildings to the right (both red - one smokehouse, one old cabin), and a large red barn to the right.

Below is just one of the test shots I took. I had to drive out into the middle field and stood on the car to get this. I tried from a different field (different view) but I am even further below the house.

Looking for suggestions on how to best frame this. Anyone?

 

[ukcatfan]

Have you considered taking a series of pictures. You could have them bound in a photo book. Also, they sell frames at Walmart that have spots for around 10-15 4x6s, 5x7s, etc. if you want it framed.

As for composition, try some unique angles. She might actually appreciate the pictures of the trees, because she would have seen them when they were small or even bofore they were even there.

Kevin

 

[geetey]

I have thought of that, Kevin. In fact I took several test shots of the big barn, the old cistern, the smokehouse, etc... (samples below) to go along with the 'main' picture. I have also thought of doing a series of 'season' shots but I don't know if she can wait that long. I am planning on trying a couple of sunset shots too - the sun will be to the right. I was thinking of a frame with 1 large opening and 3 or 4 small openings on 1 side.

 

[jfulcer]

Do a Panography!

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Panography

Anyone else done one of these?

 

[ukcatfan]

I like those examples. Here are a few ideas I get from them. I bet the barn would look really good in the dusk or dawn. I would shoot that angle of the house in a portrait orientation to bring in more of the structure and cut out more of the trees. The well is another example of where I think it would really pop out in a dusk/dawn setting. With those stationary subjects, I would bring a tripod and use a low ISO to keep the noise low. You might want to play with the aperture in the most open setting (F2-F4 or so depending on what your camera can do) to blur the background on the well shot to bring the focal point of the image to the well itself. I would blur enough so that the fence is no longer seen.

Good luck. I hope everything works out well!

Kevin

 

[MICKEY88]

how is her eyesight,

for a 92 year old, I would go with a series of closeups, then have 8x10s printed and put them in a nice album..


I use Mpix.com, easy upload, fast turn around and 1.99 per 8x10

 

[jann1033]

i might go with the album idea also and maybe you could find a few "through the years shots"( gotta be some lying around somewhere ) and take some from the same angles than put both in a nice album she can sit and look through

i do like the large centered house though with a grouping of the out building around it idea though also, just thinking it's true her eyesight and ability to stand there and look at it might not be as good as it used to be

 

[mhutchinson]

Another twist you could try is if you have access to the property (and some time), you could take a series of photos of the same structures from the same position throughout the seasons. It can be quite dramatic to see the seasons in the same photo display at once. One of the best ways to help keep your images aligned is to print off the first documented image you take and bring it with you. Also note markers on or near where the picture was taken, the date and the time (or time of day) and jot that info on the back of the printed copies.

I would imagine that the photo you took of the barn would be a great image to see though the changes in the season.

Mike

 

[MarkBarbieri]

You could use your original photo, crop it as a panoramic, and use that.

I think it has a nice look to it. The house is there but out of reach.