I have really been trying to work on better composition, i don't have a ton of subjects that are all too willing so here is "rosemary" (the step kids named it) is the head to close to center, is there a better crop (it's not cropped only resized for the forum)   EDIT, ohhh it's really blown out on here?  lol, other than that....

I, too, struggle with composition.  Here's my take.  In my opinion, there's a lot of extra stuff in front of and above the subject.  This crop puts his/her eye at about the level of the upper third and gets rid of the bright spot on the right.  I'd also clone out the two leaves that are above the log. 

If you decide to do processing on the shot, you may want to try to recover some of the highlights in the log.  Also, I would lighten up the little fellow's eyes just a tad to bring them out.  A little PWL would really bring out the texture of the log, too.

Karrie here is my play, not sure how colors are. I am on my laptop and using Capture NX not used to this program. I like the frog it is just when I looked at it I started at his bum and when I got to his eyes I wanted to wonder off the frame. We read left to right so when I view a picture I tend to view it the same way. This is the reason that I flipped it, also cropped down a little, the rest of the frame wasn't adding to the story in my opinion. I have a bad habit of adding to much and the subject isn't the focus as much. Adjusted colors and did a curve adjustment also pulling down slightly 1/3 from the left a little. I probably would clone out or burn the circle above its back. These are just my personal opinions, and view. I like the picture and can see alot of potential.

walt

Karrie

I like it the way you have it. You have a great curved line with the branch and the textures are lovely! I tend to like the space around things. The only thing I might do if were mine would be to darken or clone the light area about half way down on the right margin above the branch, eyes tend to go towards the light and it draws away from the frog.

Thanks guys, i think i tend to go a little overboard with "too much around the subject" sometimes it works, most of the time it doesn't.....some great tips and ideas here, thanks SO MUCH

 Karrie,

I like the original composition in the sense of the wider shot.  However, the flipped horizontal that Immolder put up might look good on the original sized image.  You have some great diagonals in the image...even in the swirls of the background. Cropping diminishes those, and I think you lose something when it gets cropped.  You already mentioned being blown out.  I think that the whole image looks a little bright shifted, washing it out a little.

Darkening the overall balance and amping up the saturation would do the trick.  I would clone out the plant along the left side and darken (but leave in) the ones along the bottom and right.  I would also clone or darken the white blown out blob just above the log on the right edge and the other one center top.  Do those, and you'll have a winner.

Jim 

okay now i see some really crappy cloning on my part, but over all better?  (don't look at the details, lol just wanted to try Jim's suggestinos quickly)

Karrie, you just nailed it. With the white spots gone, and the background darker. Your little prince really stands out with his back lit self! Did you use a hair light on him. Nice job...Chris

I like the comp that you have but the play you did is fantastic. I love frogs too ! I just love all things :)

Seriously..........the play works !

Shelly

Nice comp esp after the edit.

I like the comp, but Jim's suggestions were right on.  That little bit of plant on the bottom left in the original was kind of grabbing my attention, so his suggestions and your play really helped, I think. 

Yep.  Jim was absolutely right.  This looks great!

Thanks guys for all the help (yay jim) it sure is nice to be able to practice and see improvments just by asking for help on this board.  Oh the hairlight yes, um, not sure what angle it was at, but ...well..........gotta love the early morning sun right?  tee hee....again thanks for all the comments and help....

"i get by with a little help from my friends, ohhhhh"

 Looks good from where I am sitting.  You might actually un-clone the bit of bluish background that was adjacent to the hot spot that was on the right (in the original) just above the log.  That little splash of a muted blue might help the eye flow a little and also re-enforces the realism of the shot.  "Realism"?  If everything looked perfectly cloned away, then froggy would look like he was shot in studio.  These little random color splashes are subliminal cues that it was on location.

Just a thought.

Jim