I agree, the second image is fantastic. The "V" repeating down from the roof through the boat to the slides, and the life rings sentinel on either side. What a great shot, and a great eye to see it.
The second photo definitely has better composition. Because of the great symmetry, the eye looks for differences, making this a very interesting photo. Awesome photo.
Actually I like the second, but the first I bothered over, the second was something I would just do all the time, and I am surprised since the only thing I did to it to make what I thought was a sheer boredom image into maybe a stunner, was add a lot of blue in the sky. It was a bit more than that with orange going blown so I had a bit of juggling. But that is it, the mirror is not my idea unfortunately but anyway it is hard to come up with ideas when they mostly all been thought of.
Can I buck the trend, sort of, and be an awkward ba***rd?
The first one could be better if less 'busy'; you have the statue, the boat house, the lobster pot, a flagpole, the other roofed building, some people and clouds - all vieing for the viewer's attention. Oh, and a shadow on the stones of something out of shot. That said, I prefer the exposure and colours of the first because I actually thought it looked less artifically tone-mapped than the second I'd definitely clone out the shadow! Or do a fairly radical crop, chopping it and the flagpole out of the image, for example;
But even now, there are still too many subjects really.
The second one has the white of the lifebouy brighter than the clouds (GND?) and I can see way more inside the boathouse than I should be able too. I do agree the composition on the second is stronger (and good).
Cheers Dave, the shadow is of a tree unfortunately. I like to put lots of things in and hoped the net would drag your attention to the boat but the shadow doesn't help.
The boat on its own, there are controls in Topaz Detail that fine tune the light and you can do all sorts of strange things from just sharpen a little to a lot or completely change the image. I thought it needed abstraction.
The inside was made brighter in ACR.
So what I want is the same number of things but attention distracted by one thing only in the first, making it bigger helps a little.
I show you what I mean and you will see if I am completely barking mad; I keep trying to do this and one day it might work out, until then I seem to get cluttered images.
I think you can use the rule of thirds and another device like a hand pointing at what you really want the viewer to see, this could be shadow, dof or things in the image. This image is composed just like your friendly landscape with thirds on the road and pillbox, but there happens to be some big rocks pointing at the real subject, a tiny memorial in the distance. I appreciate if it ain't workin yet but I keep trying.
Hi again,
Sometime the simetry must underline.Below You will see that I dared to do that.The unconscious reason is that orange boat is like a sun and the simetry must be almost perfect.
(16min)More on your site if I'll not forget.
Thank You for understanding.
Last edited by Dave Humphries; 10th April 2010 at 01:56 PM.
On fotki it seems too laborious for me.I didn't know if I understood well but You took this nurse with a goal linked by me.As You see below first is too coloured for my taste.So I desaturated it and opened it with curves.After that I saw it is too static So I gave it the feel of action.(45 min)
Thanks for understanding.
Radu Dinu