European Snatches - Composition

Hello everyone!

My name is Olga, I'm originally from Moscow but have been travelling a lot recently and - of course, being inspired by all the beauty around - got really interested in photography. I'm trying to improve on my "intuition" now and this course is proving to be fantastic, Frank - and not only the lectures but all the comments to other projects. It's like being in class with a real teacher!

Nowadays I'm trying my hand at portraits as well traditional "sights" photography, so here are a couple of examples for my first set:

1. The quiet streets of Bergamo

Leading Lines / Perspective

I love the colours and the cobblestoned streets of this beautiful Italian town. I tried to convey the serene and thought-provoking atmosphere of the city, and the street that guides our eye around the corner of the traditional buildings.

2. Geometry of Vineyards

Leading Lines / Perspective / Fore-mid-background

The picturesque vineayrds in Alsace provide lots of opporunities. I especially like the fore/mid/background perspective here, with the path in the foreground disappearing into the hills in the background.

3. Enchanted Forest

Leading lines / Perspective / Golden Ratio

It was a beautiful eveing in Schwarzwald, Berlin after a long cycle around the forest. It seemed so peaceful and magical, and I love the way the road takes you away into the distance, urging you to find out what lies ahead. I decided to avoid full symmetry and give a bit more space to the trees on the left to show the depth of the forest.

4. Vilnius in Blue

Foreground/Background / Golden Ratio

This is, of course, post-processed. I had variants in both full-colour and full B&W but this blue colour in the foreground struck me as so vivid compared to the rest of the photo that I really wanted to highlight it. I also tried to show the depth using a close-up of the chair.

5. Red Riding Hood

Framing

From a recent autumn photoshoot. I tried to give the picture a thoughtfull and melancholic mood, fitting to the background. Maybe the model should be a bit to the right, on the Golden Ration lines? I'm not sure, as then I don't know how to make the tree frame work.

6. Under the Lights

Foreground/Background / Leading Lines

I like the effect of the lights in this image, do you think the (relative) symmetry works here?