Lindisfarne boats
- Thread starter Blythman
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- Brian
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The first one has a lot of irrelevant/uninteresting foreground, which also pushes the horizon close to the centre of the frame.
I'd crop it just below the boat reflection, and maybe take a little off the top to maintain the balance.
My preference is the second one. I like the way the two boats are leaning in opposite ways to each other, although again there's a bit too much foreground for my taste.
I'd investigate a tighter crop with just the boats and castle and leave out the sun.
I think the mooring lines/chains in the last one are bit distracting since they tend to lead the eye in two different directions.
BUT, the thing that concerns me most about all of them is the starburst around the sun, which I find a bit too strong and unnatural looking, and distracts from the rest of the picture.
Is the starburst a lens effect on the original or is it a filter or added in software?
I sometimes use Topaz "Star Effects" software to add this sort of effect and I find it really easy to overdo the effect.
I'd crop it just below the boat reflection, and maybe take a little off the top to maintain the balance.
My preference is the second one. I like the way the two boats are leaning in opposite ways to each other, although again there's a bit too much foreground for my taste.
I'd investigate a tighter crop with just the boats and castle and leave out the sun.
I think the mooring lines/chains in the last one are bit distracting since they tend to lead the eye in two different directions.
BUT, the thing that concerns me most about all of them is the starburst around the sun, which I find a bit too strong and unnatural looking, and distracts from the rest of the picture.
Is the starburst a lens effect on the original or is it a filter or added in software?
I sometimes use Topaz "Star Effects" software to add this sort of effect and I find it really easy to overdo the effect.
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- Steve
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Despite the well balanced exposure and technical competency in shooting into a sun that's really quite high these to be suffer with the malaise of dull light, and a not massively interesting subject matter which with some fake light burst you've tried to impart.
Shooting landscapes in conditions like this is usually a waste of time. You can and have done better than this.
Shooting the other way direction from the otherside of the boats may have given you more intesting pleasing light against a darker sky.
Shooting landscapes in conditions like this is usually a waste of time. You can and have done better than this.
Shooting the other way direction from the otherside of the boats may have given you more intesting pleasing light against a darker sky.
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Personally I quite like them other than the star burst on the sun which doesn't look good. The composition of the first and second photograph are ok, the mooring chains/rope are relevant in my opinion, although, in the last photo I think there's too much going on. I would have maybe shot that boat on it's own.
Sorry Stephen but I couldn't disagree more with your comment.
Surely photography isn't solely about taking pictures in perfect conditions utilising the best light and techniques and making gallery quality pictures every time. Photography is an organic experience where we are learning all the time, to learn is to try and to try is to often fail.
I think that criticism should be constructive rather than destructive.
Sorry Stephen but I couldn't disagree more with your comment.
Surely photography isn't solely about taking pictures in perfect conditions utilising the best light and techniques and making gallery quality pictures every time. Photography is an organic experience where we are learning all the time, to learn is to try and to try is to often fail.
I think that criticism should be constructive rather than destructive.
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Personally, you should aim for perfection everytime -certainly I do. Given the skill level of the OP (I've seen a lot of their other threads) I was surprised to see this. He normally produces really high quality work so know's about the effort, time, patience to wait for the right conditions to shoot.
Walking around in bland, boring days with shooting with a camera will give pictures like this. I can see from the OP he was there for sunrise and it didn't pan out. Failed trips happen, sometimes the camera won't leave the bag, if its not worth shooting, why shoot?
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Given the weather we've had lately I would have been happy to find light like this (okay I'm not a perfectionist - I just know what I like when I see it). I like the first image for the emptiness that throws the emphasis on the textures in the sand and the light catching the mooring chain. The only thing I don't like about it is that the boat is leaning out of the picture, but it was high and dry and leaning, so not a lot you could have done about it.
Well, mixed bag. While I don't find them boring or bland I appreciate photography is such a personal thing. I do appreciate everyone taking time to leave feedback.
I do have a couple of things I'd like to point out.
To me the foreground is more important than the sky, so I purposely have the horizon above half way. However, the sun which is an integral part of the pictures doesn't want to be squashed against an edge. In addition, in #1 the curve of the chain is an integral part of the image, as is the reflection.While in #2 there is a curve in the sand which mimics the shape of the chain. All these elements need a bit room to breath, in my opinion. The third was taking a chance. I can see why people think there may be too much going on
Secondly lens flare and starbursts are properties of a lens just as is bokeh, so in this case talk of Topaz and fake light bursts are way off the mark. Shooting into the light, rather than facing the other way, is very often much more interesting and that was certainly the case here.
I do have a couple of things I'd like to point out.
To me the foreground is more important than the sky, so I purposely have the horizon above half way. However, the sun which is an integral part of the pictures doesn't want to be squashed against an edge. In addition, in #1 the curve of the chain is an integral part of the image, as is the reflection.While in #2 there is a curve in the sand which mimics the shape of the chain. All these elements need a bit room to breath, in my opinion. The third was taking a chance. I can see why people think there may be too much going on
Secondly lens flare and starbursts are properties of a lens just as is bokeh, so in this case talk of Topaz and fake light bursts are way off the mark. Shooting into the light, rather than facing the other way, is very often much more interesting and that was certainly the case here.
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I take Steve's point. As a rule that's correct and it's a bugbear of mine to see the novice's mistake of pointing the camera towards the sun. The result is often falsely dramatic because the camera underexposes everything and creates a photo with lots of contrast but without any real subject.
These are better than that though and although the compositions aren't perfect, they suggest a good knowledge of exposure and they're taken in the knowledge of how they will appear.
I would choose the third one (to be different!).
These are better than that though and although the compositions aren't perfect, they suggest a good knowledge of exposure and they're taken in the knowledge of how they will appear.
I would choose the third one (to be different!).
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Personally I find these a nice set. I know how you feel when you make an effort to get early to a location and the day just slowly gets brighter, with no real sunrise.
I like the foreground, for me the ripples in the sand are not un-interesting, but a nice texture, in the case of 2 leading me to the boat.
I would like to see 2, cropped without the starburst, just to the right of the chain.
3 has a nice diagonal leading across to the castle.
You made the best of the conditions I think. I would have liked to see something without a starburst, if only for variety
.
I once read that skill is proportional to the number of shutter clicks, not a blanket rule and not an excuse for machine gunning and hoping you get a good shot, but the more we take the more we improve.
I like the foreground, for me the ripples in the sand are not un-interesting, but a nice texture, in the case of 2 leading me to the boat.
I would like to see 2, cropped without the starburst, just to the right of the chain.
3 has a nice diagonal leading across to the castle.
You made the best of the conditions I think. I would have liked to see something without a starburst, if only for variety
.I once read that skill is proportional to the number of shutter clicks, not a blanket rule and not an excuse for machine gunning and hoping you get a good shot, but the more we take the more we improve.