Fire on the Water

[FrankMi]

and no, I can't sing it!

We noticed this burned out hulk when we were on the Tortuguero Canal in Limon, Costa Rica while looking for wildlife. The canal links remote Barra del Colorado and Tortuguero with Limon.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a single wildlife image worth posting. Even the Three-toed Sloths were snoozing in the trees. We could see their legs and claws but nothing more. <sigh>

For your critique, comment, question, or perhaps simply to look at and enjoy.... I did...

[dabhand]

Thanks for posting that Frank - it's intriguing - given it appears to be ashore stern first it does make you wonder how it came to be burnt out.

[Sergio M.]

A very well done, enjoyable, and thought inducing image. Makes me wonder what, when, and how.

Sergio

[Wavelength]

Nicely done

[chauncey]

There was a good photograph there Frank...I just don't think that you found it.

[FrankMi]

Thanks for posting that Frank - it's intriguing - given it appears to be ashore stern first it does make you wonder how it came to be burnt out.

Thanks Steve and Sergio, that was the aspect of this image that made me want to capture it, the mystery of how it came to be here like this.

[FrankMi]

Thank you Nandakumar!

There was a good photograph there Frank...I just don't think that you found it.

Hi Chauncey, my shooting opportunity was limited to what I could get in passing from a shallow draft tourist boat. I am interested in your comment.

What do you think should have been done to get a 'good photograph' from this situation?

What is missing that you feel should have been included?

[Mike Buckley]

I think it's an OK image that suffers from the understandable limitations of the shooting situation. Given those limitations, the photo works better for me as a document of an interesting situation than as a compelling scene.

Consider adding a slight vignette around the boat. I'm thinking of one tastefully done so the vignette isn't noticed until it is removed. That kind of vignette helps bring out the black tones of the burned wood.

[NorthernFocus]

To some degree I agree with Chauncey. There was definitely an opportunity there. As presented it is a bit messy. Though viewed in the larger version it helps focus one's attention on the boat, particularly on the burned timbers. This is one of those situations where a part may be more powerful at conveying a message than the whole. Granted you didn't have the opportunity to wander around and think about it. May also be a good candidate for B/W conversion.

[FrankMi]

Consider adding a slight vignette around the boat. I'm thinking of one tastefully done so the vignette isn't noticed until it is removed. That kind of vignette helps bring out the black tones of the burned wood.

Thanks for the constructive feedback, Mike. I'll try the vignette suggestion. I cloned out some electrical wires and wanted to remove the background building but cropping is out and cloning is obvious as it doesn't work well at all with this much foliage.

[FrankMi]

This is one of those situations where a part may be more powerful at conveying a message than the whole.

It sounds like you have some thoughts about a better crop? If you would like, please feel free to post your version of this image. I'd love to see your ideas.

[NorthernFocus]

It sounds like you have some thoughts about a better crop? If you would like, please feel free to post your version of this image. I'd love to see your ideas.

What I really meant was that if one has the opportunity to move around scenes like this and study them, sometimes smaller portions of detail work well. But in this case, a crop may also work. I don't typically do this but here's a thought or two...



or B/W

[Mike Buckley]

It's interesting to me that I prefer the cropped color version but I prefer an uncropped monochrome. I'm not exactly sure why that's the case but that's my impression.

If you convert to monochrome using a green filter, the bright green foliage will be brighter than in Dan's image and will nicely frame the darkness of the burned wood.

[chauncey]

While I might not like the messenger, I do like the message...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpHMuK7Htic
Grab a cuppa, it's a long one.

[NorthernFocus]

While I might not like the messenger, I do like the message...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpHMuK7Htic
Grab a cuppa, it's a long one.

I watched bits and pieces and what I saw looked like an interesting instructional video. His example of walking around the Taj Mahal is kind of thing I was alluding to in my first post. Sometimes you look at a scene and just know there's a compelling image there. Clearly Frank's situation riding by in a boat not under his command doesn't offer one the opportunity to seek it out.

[Stagecoach]

Frank,

I was interested in Mikes comments so had a look at the original (uncroped) and put it through the various B&W pre-sets in Elements. Certain ones made the boat and its charred wood stand out much more than in the colour version and suspect that someone with far more B&W practice than me could do a good job with it.

Grahame

[Downrigger]

I think this is good, and intriguing to begin with, and would take the position that the situation only offers just so much to work with (and not quite enough). It's an intriguing subject but an uninviting layout and I think, because of that, it would be very hard to improve on the first version, at least by much.

[FrankMi]

What I really meant was that if one has the opportunity to move around scenes like this and study them, sometimes smaller portions of detail work well. But in this case, a crop may also work. I don't typically do this but here's a thought or two...



or B/W

I think the crop really helps minimize the distracting background. As I get a chance, I'll play with both the your crop and Mikes vignette to see what I can accomplish. Thanks for posting your view!

I'll also that a look at the video, Chauncy and see what I can learn from it.

If there's one thing I've come to appreciate is that too often it is simply not possible to always get it right 'in camera'! LOL!