# Is this photo ruined by a composition error? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 26, 2012, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-photo-ruined-by-a-composition-error/610783 "2012-01-26T22:56:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-photo-ruined-by-a-composition-error/610783/41 "2012-01-28T03:15:47Z")
Again, I had to keep following the horses around. I took many other shots from many other angles. I also did several different exposures for each shot. And did shots with and without a polarizer. For other shots, like [this one,](http://postimage.org/image/ni43h9q0l/) I did use a shallower depth of field, with a longer focal length. The one in the OP was at the wide end of my 24-120 lens, and on a film camera; it’s hard to isolate the background at that length because the depth of field is very deep even at the large apertures. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-photo-ruined-by-a-composition-error/610783/42 "2012-01-28T03:32:59Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Again, I had to keep following the horses around. I took many other shots from many other angles. I also did several different exposures for each shot. And did shots with and without a polarizer. > > For other shots, like [this one,](http://postimage.org/image/ni43h9q0l/) I did use a shallower depth of field, with a longer focal length. The one in the OP was at the wide end of my 24-120 lens, and on a film camera; it’s hard to isolate the background at that length because the depth of field is very deep even at the large apertures. I LOVE that picture. He looks like he’s on his way to his stall on 7am Sunday after 24 hours of sowing some pretty wild oats. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-photo-ruined-by-a-composition-error/610783/43 "2012-01-28T03:35:51Z")
Yes, it had rained a few days prior, and the horses were muddy. I thought it added character. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-photo-ruined-by-a-composition-error/610783/44 "2012-01-28T03:37:34Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Take a look at [this picture.](http://postimage.org/image/qjjuui83d/) > > Do you notice something that ruins the composition? > > If so, what is it? I try to be understanding and supportive of my friends’ art, but “hung like TWO horses” is not necessarily a compliment. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-photo-ruined-by-a-composition-error/610783/45 "2012-01-28T17:42:05Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > I LOVE that picture. He looks like he’s on his way to his stall on 7am Sunday after 24 hours of sowing some pretty wild oats. Yep - what a muddy pretty horse! He looks happy. Good picture - and much better than the first one! 😉 These horses are probably trained and rideable and _should_ respond to some voice commands from someone on the ground. You could ask the owner to be sure - if you ever do this again, you might be able to get the horses to stop approaching you with a well-timed _halt_ or _whoa_ command. Though they are horses - they might know what you want them to do, but choose to not do it anyways! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-photo-ruined-by-a-composition-error/610783.md?page=2)