I have made the following observation....square thumbnails can make great shots look boring. Viewing other peoples work, there are a great many photographs with the focal point, main element, not slap in the middle of the frame. If you are scanning thumbnails, alot of the detail is missing. So, do you create an image that looks good for the thumbnail, thereby getting it noticed. Or do you hold to your art and make the best image possible and hope that it is not ignored.
I, personally tend to use the edges of a frame more than the middle.
Generally speaking square photos are less interesting. If you read Michael Freeman's book 'The photographer's eye', which is about composition, he calls the square frame the "tyranny of the perfect equilibrium". Very few shots work using this shape as it doesn't give your eye as good a chance to scan an image. You're right that the problem with thumbnails is that, being square, they restrict what has been photographed, which is generally framed in a rectangle.
However I never take a photo on the premise the thumbnail will look good. In fact it's never even entered my mind. What would be the point in that? What is pleasing to the eye is paramount, and I will never succumb to the ideal that getting noticed is more important than taking a good photo.
I agree, a great photo and composition is far more important than getting noticed on here. Square shots are hard to create great composition with I find.
Sometimes having the focal point in the centre works for a shot, but I find that occasion to be rare.
I think it's important to compose it however you wish and to not worry about the thumbnail. Unfortunately it does mean that the thumbnail doesn't seem to be as interesting as what the image actually is.
That's what I thought too. I just feel like I am missing some interesting photographs because I can't open them all. Oh well. Personally, I am still going to create the image I like first, then post it.
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However I never take a photo on the premise the thumbnail will look good. In fact it's never even entered my mind. What would be the point in that? What is pleasing to the eye is paramount, and I will never succumb to the ideal that getting noticed is more important than taking a good photo.
Ironically though, my photo yesterday was in a square frame! http://365project.org/vikdaddy/365/2010-06-11
Sometimes having the focal point in the centre works for a shot, but I find that occasion to be rare.
I made this thread a week or two ago so that people could post there when their thumbnails really don't showcase what they should...
http://365project.org/discuss/general/822/good-photo-bad-thumbnail
Just putting it out there again incase you wanted to use it because I know a lot of people have this problem!