Which photo is better? Tomb of the Unknown Soldier



These were taken at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C. This was a special wreath laying ceremony for a foreign prime minister. Based on my research, I believe she was Jadranka Kosor, Prime Minister of Croatia. Do you think they look better marching or standing at Present Arms?



3 comments:

  1. Present Arms, primarily because it gives a better sense of the scene. The extended flags add a lot of detail and color.

    To pick up the camera type conversation from below - I am a big fan of the digital SLR cameras and would like to get one. But I find that while I'm traveling, I love my pocket-sized point-and-shoot Canon most of all. I can see something interesting and take a picture within about two seconds by just grabbing it from my pocket. It's always on call. And the picture quality is good, all things considered.

    Given the above preference, do you still recommend getting a really nice digital SLR if I want to have high quality prints made of scenic photos, etc?

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  2. Present Arms as it's more dramatic. Also, the framing of the scene is much better in the later; I think you could have better captured the depth of the scene with the former if you had zoomed out and been a little off-center to the right.

    I also really enjoy the convenience of my Cannon.

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  3. The dSLR and point and shoot cameras are two entirely different types of pictures. Jessica carries around a little Sony at all times and I still use the camera on my iPhone often. But there are so many types of photos I am trying to take that a point and shoot just can't handle. Dogs and babies are always moving that I find it almost impossible to get a clear picture on a point and shoot without using the flash, but with my D90 this really isn't a problem. I can also control focus much easier and recently I have been taking many photos with a blurry background and clear foreground or vice versa (I'll show you in a future Which Photo is Better?)

    For me, I'm taking thousands of photos. Probably something like 5,000-10,000 photos per year. Many times I am shooting the same subject or scene changing the setting with each shot. With flash, without flash, zoomed in or out, blurry foreground for perspective or blurry background for focusing on the subject.

    One of my favorite strategies when taking photos is trying to change my level. This mean that instead of shooting every photo at eye level, crouching or even lying down on the floor/ground, looking straight across or up. Or standing on a chair trying to get almost straight down.

    If you have ever taken the time to get an interesting shot, then you might enjoy a dSLR. But if you want a good scenic photo to print, your point and shoot (and a tiny tripod for night shots) will have the megapixels and settings you need for those large scenic shots.

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