Wonderful first assignment. The element I admired most about this photograph is that both photographs actually follow different rules of composition. Neither of the photographs are technically wrong. You’ve incorporated the use of lines, balance, symmetry, color control and depth into 1, if not both of your photographs.
What’s also interesting, is that while most students are opting to go from complex to simple, you’ve done the reverse. You’ve moved from simplicity towards chaos.
Your first image (i.e. the beast) however, is flat and lacks character. Likewise there is absolutely no depth. It’s very rare to see such a photograph with such flatness. Generally a foreground, middle-ground and a background, along with the help of lighting and shadows, help create the illusion of a third dimension. However, you’ve stripped this photograph of that possibility. You’ve used front lighting and you’ve merged all of your layers into one position in depth. The image is overly symmetrical and flat. The second image however, has now incorporated depth, the use of strong lines, shadows and a gradient in colors that make the image more interesting to look at. It’s more engaging and therefore harder to simply pass by.
The shadows are so strong that it is hard to figure out the difference between the actual object and the dark shadows. Again, this just goes to show why you need to be aware of the direction and strength of the lighting source. In this image it worked well because of the abstract quality of the image, but in other images these shadows create objects that could be distracting or unflattering.
However, you’ve done a great job with this assignment. I look forward to seeing your future work in the student community!