Critique Birnbeck Pier - Daytime long exposure

[Engineersix]

We've seen some amazing long exposures posted recently - including Jakes fantastic shots of Clevedon Pier. This inspired me to visit the forgotten pier in Weston-Super-Mare this morning. It was pretty grim including a fine misty like rain that saw me huddled over the camera and tripod with an umbrella desperately trying to keep the rain off the lens and filter. Judicous use of a cloth to wipe down between shots and some spot healing in lightroom managed to deal with what did end up on there!

The tide was right in - a rare thing in W-S-M! So I couldn't get down any lower that you see - I took a couple from here...


Birnbeck Long Exposure 1 by Rabc3, on Flickr

But I can't get excited about them for some reason.

I also tried a slightly higher angle that I definitely prefer...


Birnbeck 3 by Rabc3, on Flickr

However, in the end my favourite shot of the morning wasn't of the Pier at all, but the steps that lead down the beach - covered by the high tide...


Descend into the light... by Rabc3, on Flickr

Despite being eclispsed by the more accessable Grand Pier, (recently rebuilt after a fire) Birnbeck Pier has quite an interesting history including being requisitioned by no less than the Directorate of Miscellaneous Weapons Development during WWII! Read more about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birnbeck_Pier

Always interested in feedback, good or bad - if anyone has an opinion?

Thanks,

Rob

 

[arclight]

There is some attraction there, Rob, but also somewhat bland. I think that these "milky" water shots are really quite difficult to pull off. They are an over used technique, to my way of thinking. However, nice try.

 

[damianmkv]

I quite like 1 and 2 - are you using and grads ?

The white of the water in 3 leaves the shot a bit too blown for me.

Having just got a 10 stop, I know how tricky it is to get a good shot of something that others may consider simple

 

[Engineersix]

There is some attraction there, Rob, but also somewhat bland. I think that these "milky" water shots are really quite difficult to pull off. They are an over used technique, to my way of thinking. However, nice try.

Thanks for the feedback Dougie - I understand what you mean about the blandness, particularly I agree that the colour image doesn't realy cut it. The technique itself is still new to me, (as a beginner in photography) so I am happy enough with it's use in principle and I am still trying to get it right.

I quite like 1 and 2 - are you using and grads ?

The white of the water in 3 leaves the shot a bit too blown for me.

Having just got a 10 stop, I know how tricky it is to get a good shot of something that others may consider simple

Thanks Damian... No graduated ND on camera - although I am adding a graduated exposure effect in Lightroom where necessary. I looked at lowering the exposure of the overexposed in image three, but some water texture showed that I didn't want in what I was aiming for so I left it as shot in the end, (although other adjustments to the RAW were made).

I accept I have some way to go to achieve the quality images I see by others, I was hoping someone might offer some experience and suggestions on how to improve...

I do appreciate your feedback guys - thanks again...