Bullseye! Another Lesson

 

We've all seen them. The quilt ladies at the shows wearing the vests and jackets with the quilt block smack dab in the center back. Like a target. I'm guilty of this.

Ready for another lesson? I'm going to use the same overlarge quilt blocks (with clickable images for a larger blurry view) used in the previous lesson on proportion because there is another problem with one of the blocks. See the dragonfly smack in the center? Bullseye! I should have remembered the rule of thirds. Good photographers use this rule. I have used it, but for some reason forgot it in this instance.

See how I have divided the block into thirds both vertically and horizontally? Notice where the dragonfly is: bullseye! When you are taking a photo imagine this grid on top of your image and move your camera so your subject falls on one of the intersections.

You can see how I've cropped this block 2 different ways in the next 2 images. So which one would you use? Although I really like the lighter area that is at the bottom of the second image because it reminds me of a light source or a bounced light beam, I'm not sure I like the dragonfly flying off toward the edge. And in the image with the dragonfly at the bottom, there would need to be something at the intersection right above the dragonfly (some fancy quilting or embroidery?) to draw the eye up and then off the edge.

Update: Shelina has a valid comment in that rules are made to be broken. But remember that is one block is the center block of an overly large nine-patch are really is a target. I have totally re-purposed these blocks and am making small wall hangings.