Shutterstock Photographer Forum :: View topic

dustine · Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 3:34 am

I was fortunate to get a tour of a large local cave (has a rich history...opened in 1930 it began public life as an underground nightclub during prohibition and continued so into the 50s) that's been closed to the public for many years. It was quite a challenge taking pictures in pitch darkness with only flashlights but we did get a few.

This one I took of one of the few Tri-Colored Bats we found sleeping in the cave.

I'm not sure if it would have more impact if it were submitted as a Horizontal, or Vertical image or do you think I could submit both since each is cropped a bit differently?

Thanks for any feedback.

hhltdave5 · Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 4:28 am

A buyer can always turn a horizontal into a vertical as long as there is enough size for them to work with. For me I usually will submit both (not at the same time). Personally I like the vertical one better. Often with shots such as this that could end up in a magazine I like the vertical because that is the natural orientation of a page in a magazine.

chinchoi · Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 7:18 am

i like vertical more, it look more "natural" to the subject.

but i also agree to submit both, because the horizontal has more empty space for text / cropping.

digigandalf · Joined: 11 Jun 2005 Posts: 5412 Location: Twinsburg, OH

I think you ought to crop a little closer around the bat in both of them, if you can. It's going to be almost invisible in a thumbnail.

rinder99 · Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 9:49 am

also I would clone in the rock to lose the on camera flash look.

dustine · Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 11:16 pm

Thanks guys. Digi...I'm afraid I'm as close to the bat as I can be and still meet the size requirement. I was afraid of the flash spooking, or worse yet, hurting the little guys eyes so I didn't get as close as I would have liked.

Rinder...I took your recommendation and tried to clone out the shadows. It wasn't easy to do the bat, since he had the most shadow and his fur needed to stay natural looking. I hope this works. I've added a close up of the bat after cloning the rock and before. I didn't realize there were so many harsh shadows till you mentioned it. Thanks!