In March of 2019, my sister and I had the opportunity to travel with our church to Washington, DC. During our visit, we toured the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, a 30-foot-high statue that honors the life and legacy of Dr. King. Dr. King fought for freedom, equality, and justice.
The before photo below is a picture of that cold day in Washington while sightseeing at the MLK memorial. The resolution of the photo is not the best, but I wanted to use this photo because of the impact it had on me that day. History came alive to me on that day. That day I thought about the struggles my grandparents faced while growing up in the 1960’s and how Dr. King and other civil rights leaders gave them hope for a better world. That day also taught me to Keep my eyes on the prize which is to dream of a world where freedom and equality will be granted to all.
Before Photo
MLK Memorial Trip by Ken Austin is licensed under © “All Rights Reserved 2019”
The focal point of the photo is the MLK memorial; however, you have a lady on the left walking and other distractions in the background. This photo could use better composition.
After Photo
I used PhotoPea to crop the photo. Although I really hate the resolution, the cropped photo now has the focal point on the MLK Memorial which towers over my sister and I as we reflect on the life and legacy of Dr. King. The cropped photo is better composition and creates a more powerful photo.
Deidra, love the photo of you and your sister. The cropping for both images is a little awkward. It’s a different cropping ratio that you used, which gave the subject no breathing room on either side. My suggestion, if you could go back and retake this photo, is to use a longer lens and have someone back up and zoom it. It will help with the image distortion, without sacrificing your cropping.
Thanks Casey Brown for the tips. The photo was take from a camera phone so we didn’t have a longer lens; however, I am hoping after this class to maybe invest in a camera and a few lenses. Thanks again for the composition tips.