Critique Please - honest critique on this shot. New edit added!

Hi Dave.
I do like it, the detail on the boat is great, and it's got nice tones. I would prefer less sky, as there is a lot of it, with not a lot of detail. But maybe that was what you was after, so your eyes focus on the boat? And it is a good use of "rule of thirds". I could be wrong, maybe it will work with less sky, maybe not.
The overall mood of the photo works well. I'd be pleased if I'd taken that.
 
its a wreck but the boat aint bad :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

Joke aside, comp is good and I like the tones (y)
 
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For me it is a bit flat. I think the composition is fine but you weren't lucky with the conditions. From the water it looks like a long exposure so if there had been more clouds you might have got some nice movement there. I think you could open the shadows on the boat a bit too. If you cna get there again I would have another go when there is more cloud.
 
Idlefrog said:
For me it is a bit flat. I think the composition is fine but you weren't lucky with the conditions. From the water it looks like a long exposure so if there had been more clouds you might have got some nice movement there. I think you could open the shadows on the boat a bit too. If you cna get there again I would have another go when there is more cloud.
Click to expand...
Maybe with a graduated ND filter?
 
Quite minimalist and I think the flat sky actually suits it

I agree with an earlier comment re a bit too much sky but overall I like it
 
Thanks all, your comments have given me something to think about. I wasn't sure about the crop either, I'll try and reduce the sky a bit. (y)
 
I really like it, usually I'd agree with a tighter crop but this just clicked with me. By all means experiment but I think you nailed it as is.
 
You have nailed it indeed, my thought is to have a slightly higher view point so the boat is just sitting under the horizon and not breaking into it.
 
Kevin O'Brian said:
You have nailed it indeed, my thought is to have a slightly higher view point so the boat is just sitting under the horizon and not breaking into it.
Click to expand...

Spot on, that was my only tweak composition wise... I was also going to add that while I like the minimal and washed out look of the sky and sea and the contrast to the boat, I'd perhaps make the boat a little more contrasty still - really push some of the blacks into black rather than dark grey, but looking on the largest size on flickr it's much improved on that score, and I'd like to bet that at "proper full resolution" there's a full spectrum of black through to white in there...
 
It's crap.

:D



MOD EDIT: Andy and Dave are Mates, it's Banter, thats what the Smiley Face means, Please Stop Reporting This...
 
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I like it but agree on the sky. I think it would suit a square crop well though with the boat in the upper horizontal third somewhere
 
is the horizon straight?

The gap between the boat and the front post, because of the processing, at first looks light a highlight thats blown. On the full size flickr image it looks better but still draws my eye. Not sure what could be done about that other than perhaps a slight movement to the left to attach it visually to the hull.

For me I'd like a little more contrast, and more dramatic detail in the sky would be good.

But great location and subject, definitely some more possibilities to come
 
Be nice to have some more punch in the sky as I can see faint cloud there, I reckon either go for nothing in the sky or make them stand out, also the spacing on the side I would even up so the wreck is more centre.
 
time to make like a train folks, and get this thread back on the rails...

A few posts have disappeared, if you wish to argue the toss about it, use the contact us option at the bottom of the screen, any further off topic posts in here will not be looked on favourably.
 
missed all the fuss
but to pipe in...I quite like it.
mono and minimalist.however, I would make the boat a but more of a feature
I would go lower or just crop in a little maybe even a nearly square crop with the boat at the bottom right 1/3
 
I would loose some of the sky it does nothing for the boat which is good
 
Personally for me, for this type of minimalistic shot I'd like to see a bit more space around the boat. Also, as said the boat encroaching on the horizon bothers me a bit, I think it would be ok if the boat was higher on the horizon line but not how it is. I'm not overly concerned about the amount of sky but a bit more detail would be nice. Great subject though, I would certainly be having another crack at it.
 
For me, I like the bottom half, and also feel it might work better as a square like some of the other comments above. It seems a little bit 'narrow' in the sense that I would like a little more space on the right hand side of the boat, but there is nothing to be done about that. Also the horizon seems only very slightly off? Easy for me to say though, its still better than anything I have ever managed!
 
Agree with most comments. I love the wreck but the sky is too much. Consider a 1x1 crop more on the boat. Cheers
 
Right, I've taken into consideration all your comments, fired up Photoshop (which I very rarely use), looked at lots of on-line tutorials, and come up with this. Isn't Photoshop bloody marvellous....?!!!!

Alone by Dave Kiddle, on Flickr
 
Hi Dave
Most of the constructive comments have been already made above on the first shot. agreed with the too much sky etc etc. and its really down to composition thats all ... oh and the lights a little flat:(.
Second shot is nice like that... There is some fantastic texture in the hull and some nice rope and what looks like an old block hanging down the Port side. Now I was going to say id take a bit from the RH side to pull the hull more toward the third, until I studied the cloud. There is quite a natural arc in the cloud over and above the wreck which looks great and could potentially draw you into the shot even more, its almost like a natural vignette. I think it would be nice to accentuate that and exploit it a little by pulling down a grad over it to make the clouds a little heavier. Also although I'm not always a fan I'd try a little vignette (just as an experiment) to see how it looks.
I did think the horizon was out but I think its the light shining on the water on the RH side that's throwing it a little and the horizon is actually straight.
Like the reflection in the water (or is it wet sand). But I think its a very nice shot, and stands up very well in its own right without any fannying round!

"Fired up Photoshop (which I very rarely use)" really? why ever not?:)

BTW did I know you in a former life? I knew a Dave Kiddle, did you Live/Work in Basingstoke at all?

All the best
Steve
 
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Steve, thanks for taking the time to comment.

I use Lightroom to edit my shot normally, and find that it does 99% of what I need :)

Ref: Basingstoke, PM incoming :)
 
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