Lord Byron (the one some of us studied in our English literature) was one of the many visitors to Malta in the early 1800 when Malta was a protectorate and then a British colony. As you may know Byron suffered from a limp, and having to negotiate Valletta’s stepped streets in the sweltering humidity of September must have been a huge effort which stressed him to the point of spitefully writing, “Adieu, ye cursed streets of stairs, how surely he who mounts you swears”. This street is not very far from where Lord Byron lived for a few days. The street starts down to the next one first by a gentle slope covered with tiles and then at the very edge where the pillar box stands in the middle you get a flight of about 60 stairs. Well dear Mr Lord, you do not have to swear. Relax and take photographs of the lovely city!
I tried a further two compositions of this shot, one using rule of thirds and the other the golden rule. I liked this one best, smack in the middle. How would you have composed it?
I tried taking the foreground out and moving the postbox to the left which worked and gave perspective on the size of the postbox but I actually like the quirky composition of your shot.
i like how you composed this, methinks it's perfect. aces! but i'd have composed it so that the pillar box is in the bottom more to the right than centre, with that delicious blurred background.
It's really not how we would compose the picture but how you saw it because each photographer will see and compose it differently. Me...I would have gotten up close and personal with it- hardly any road at all, if I left it in. But my eye would have been attracted to the stickers on it and the color and I might have even chopped it in half! But as for your eye and your composition...it's great!
I like the composition and the impression it gives of the steepness of the street. Even the mailbox gives the impression it could slide off down the street. Your notes go well with the photo.
I definitely like your pov. All the lines between the tiles appear to be pointing at the post pillar box and the focusing is brilliant. I like the story too.
I certainly could not improve on your shot. I like the central position of the post box against the light and the feeling of the drop. And all is enhanced by your write up.
I like the shot even if it is a bit unusual with this very central theme. I would only have further ideas if I could see the scene with my own eyes. The story was also compelling.
@wakelys Thanks Susan for your comment. I did take a picture with more focus on the box and the balconies in the background. As you said it works as well.
@olivetreeann Thanks for your comment and I appreciate the way you put it; much depends on who is shooting. Thanks for highlighting the stickers. I completely overlooked that possibility.
