Stills

First impression - clean, well-defined image. Next a thought: is this an attempt to sell chess to Africa? Then, why are there no board markings below the pieces? Lastly, the observation that the knight has a suitable head for the new skin: some would look too horsey.

It wouldn't have crossed my mind to think of the zebra-knight as being different or special or outstanding - perhaps multi-cultural Britain works! My mind is too focused on chess.

I started collecting those posctcards that you find in some cafes and restaurants when we were in Santiago, or at least those that weren't too heavily defined by the product that had hijacked the sponsorship. This would have gone into my collection so that I could wonder why there wasn't a board.
 

Not an attempt to sell chess to Africa John. My feelings were that both the game of chess and the Zebra were pretty Universal in Western culture where such an image would be targeted. The lack of a chess board was a deliberate action in as much as I decided that it would clutter the image and that it was not necessary for the delivery of the message. That the idea of difference or standing out from the crowd etc. did not ring clear likely means that the image is not as strong as I imagined it to be.
 

My thinking may well not be representative of many and the fact that I didn't associate the image with difference etc. is not definitive! It's certainly innovative and I go along with Colin's thoughts on it.
 

I think if you want different, you might need to do something more to isolate the zebra. Perhaps make it the only thing in the plane of focus.
 

I don't know a great deal about stock photography. I have watched a video tutorial and been to one lecture by a 'well known' stock photographer. So one of the bits of information I picked up was 'leave room for the text'. The photographers seemed to photograph for a portrait format with big areas of background for use by text or a landscape picture where half the image was background (Image on one page background with text on the other page.) The lecture convinced me that I was never going to be a stock photographer!

I didn't get the message of this without your text but then in it's environment there would be an article or something that would push the viewer over the edge of understanding.

I think the DoF is not quite right (difficult to judge at this size) but the pawns to the left looks sharper than the knight. The knight has soft edges. I agree with Matt's comment, however the knight should be pin sharp.
 

Thanks for the advice on the focusing issue, I think there is certainly room for improvement there. As for the portrait/room for words issue it is certainly true that stock photographers do this often for the purposes of trying to get that front cover of a magazine or some such and it is good advice also.
 

Maybe the way round the focus issue is to take two photos: one with everything soft and another with sufficient DoF to make the knight entirely sharp and then transfer the knight into the first picture.
 

Yes, that would certainly work John.
 

That knight is already 'different'. You could convey the concept a couple of ways: bunch up the pieces a little more and keep all in sharp focus; or bring that knight out of the pack (i.e. move him so he doesn't blend in with the king) and then make him the sole piece in focus. The latter would require some manipulation based upon where you place the piece. Interesting choice of piece given its rather unique way of moving around the board. I think you have answered the concept in a very unique way.