Critique Wanted to try my big stopper out today, so I went to Lyme Regis (1 more added)

Raptor Mike

Raptor Mike

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Lyme Regis is about 5 miles from me. Lately I have got a Lee Foundation system off here (thanks
@markyboy.1967 ) and a Manrotto tripod (which I also purchased a new head for). I've used the tripod and head a few times but not to any great extent and never used the filters. So as I have no worked booked in today I braved the wind and went to Lyme.

It was very windy and I am well impressed at how sturdy it is, thanks @mike_6480

Kit used:
Canon 60D
Tamron SP AF 17-55mm f/2.8
Manfrotto 055ProB tripod with Manfrotto 498RC2 ball head
Lee Big Stopper and HiTech 0.6 ND soft grad
Cable release

Anyway here's the results.
Constructive crit not only welcome but appreciated ;)

1

Through the grass - Lyme Regis by Raptor Mike, on Flickr

2

East from Lyme by Raptor Mike, on Flickr

3

Golden Cap from Lyme by Raptor Mike, on Flickr

4
Zoo sets often have the obligatory gob shot, but Lyme sets have to have the obligatory 'Cobb' shot :tumbleweed:
Although this one isn't brilliant because of the position of the sun

Sunshine through cloud over The Cobb by Raptor Mike, on Flickr

Thanks for looking (y)
 
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The first pic is the most successful of the four in my view, the diagonal line of the shore combined with the lovely contrasting blue and gold works well. I would like to see a figure walking along the beach perhaps, (I realise this isn't possible with the stopper) act as a focal point and provide scale.

All the interest in the second one lies in that narrow band of exposed rocks and cliffs, the rest is dead space. You may be able to crop it to a letterbox but it's bland.

The third is nice enough but the scene needs a boat, person, etc to provide more interest.

The fourth is suffering from a big burnt out patch on the left which has spoiled the shot, you have lost detail in the main scene.

In all cases with photography like this you would have been better off without the big stopper IMO. On the first one the foreground grasses look strangely blurred although the sea and sky are rendered well. The blurred clouds look strange in the third one too.

If you can fine-tune the first photo, show a bit more of the structure just visible maybe and include some people perhaps, then it would be a winner. If you were just wanting to 'try out' the nd filters, that's fine but I would use the big stopper carefully and thoughtfully as used indiscriminately is worse than not used at all.
 
I'm guessing the blurring in the foreground grasses in the first is actually the wind? But there does seem to me to be a colour cast that isn't there in the others. The second is bland for my taste but I'm liking the empty space in the third. For me introducing another element would unbalance the composition, though Tim's right about the clouds. I don't dislike the movement in them - it would just be better if it wasn't there, but even without the filter you may not have had much option today!
 
#3 looks quite good with the blurry cloud movement - #1 has a bit of an hdr look to it - I go to lyme a fair bit although its more like 25 miles for me - they do a very relaible pint of palmers at the royal standard and good fish & chips at lymes fish bar near the cobb - its got it all photography wise!
 
I like no.2 a lot.
Strangely I would have imagined crashing waves over the cobb today!
 
Thank you everyone for your comments (y) The exercise today was to play with the big stopper and try to get the swishy dreamy effect. I did wonder about the finish in one and whether I'd over cooked it, but its my fab out of the set. With 2 I thought about the dead space but have read articles that say its no it always a bad thing. The clouds in 3 was part of the swishy effect I was after. I wonder if when you do that you have to really push it to make it look like its done on purpose. There were people in the shots but because of the stopper they looked more like ghosts so they had to come out. With 4 i wouldnt normaly taken a photo like that let alone posted but it was to show what the cobb looked like so i didnt get anyone saying what no cobb photos lol. @viv1969 I was going to go to seaton but because of the wind I thought I'd get some crashing waves, but there wasnt any because the wind wasn't strong enough and the tide was out. I'm definitely going to do some more there with and without the stopper. The problem with Lyme is taking photos of it that haven't been done before. Thanks again folks :)
 
They have a very painterly quality and I especially love #1. This is not just photography but evocative picture making! I very much like #2 and #3 too but am not struck by the other two posted.

I don't care less about analysing compositions or the technicalities of these first three images - All that matters to me is that I feel enjoyment and inspiration when I look at them.

I live only a few miles from Lyme Regis too (near Bridport and used to have a house on the cliff at West Bay when I was married), so I know the views you have taken.
 
RedRobin said:
They have a very painterly quality and I especially love #1. This is not just photography but evocative picture making! I very much like #2 and #3 too but am not struck by the other two posted.

I don't care less about analysing compositions or the technicalities of these first three images - All that matters to me is that I feel enjoyment and inspiration when I look at them.

I live only a few miles from Lyme Regis too (near Bridport and used to have a house on the cliff at West Bay when I was married), so I know the views you have taken.
Click to expand...
Thank you very much :D
Im only in Axminster but bought up in Seaton, my wife's from Bridport.
 
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