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Thread: Old Kalahari Farmhouse

  1. #1
    botspur's Avatar
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    Clive

    Old Kalahari Farmhouse

    On our last trip to the Kgalagadi National Park this Museum had been faithfully built on the site where an old farmhouse once stood. I'm amazed at how anyone could scratch out a living in such harsh conditions, on the day we were there the temperature hit 41C. The water tank and windmill provide water for the wild animals, I must admit we were tempted to take a plunge in the water tank.

    Old Kalahari Farmhouse

    Old Kalahari Farmhouse

  2. #2
    PhotoRob's Avatar
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    Robert Farkas

    Re: Old Kalahari Farmhouse

    Greetings from Tampa, Florida Clive. I really like #2; I can feel how dry it is and those browns really make it. A long lens will compress distances so #1 for me feels flat; the hill leading up to the house could be mistaken for a vertical / wall. Have you considered cloning out that windmill and the house to keep the focus on the tree and water tank?
    Last edited by PhotoRob; 13th February 2013 at 12:34 PM.

  3. #3
    Moderator Donald's Avatar
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    Just add 'MacKenzie'

    Re: Old Kalahari Farmhouse

    I too don't find that the placing of the various elements in #1 (i.e. the composition) works terribly well. It feels like a picture of a building, of a tank, of a tree, rather than a complete, single image.

    On the other hand, I think the second one is beautifully composed. It shows us both the desolation, harshness of the landscape in which a family tried to eek out an existence.

  4. #4

    Re: Old Kalahari Farmhouse

    The second one definitely gives me the desolate feeling. I'm thinking a slightly tighter crop would make it even more intense.

    I'm finding I wanted to see more of the windmill in the first image. If the shot had been taken slightly more from the left maybe that could have been clearly seen. As Robert already says, to me it feels a little flat too. Maybe from the left we could have gotten more of the hill to the house as well. Is there a road there about 25% up from the bottom of the frame?

  5. #5
    botspur's Avatar
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    Re: Old Kalahari Farmhouse

    Hi Robert, Donald and Wes. Many thanks for the excellent feedback and comments I found them very constructive and helpful. I used a 50-200mm zoom and it does give a flat feeling to the first image. In the first one I was restricted to position as being in a game park one has to stay in the vehicle. The second one I could get out of the vehicle.
    I found Donald's comment about the four different elements being seen as individuals and the point is well made about composition, whereas the second image with a single subject has better composition - lesson learned.
    Once again thanks.

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