Please critique the composition

[AndrewMcD]

As I seem to be prone to having too many subjects in my images I thought I would present this image with a brief explanation of what I was attempting. The interesting light on the buildings and the Dolles sign caught my eye and to my way of thinking provides the subject for the image. I attempted to use the sand fence as leading lines into the image. My feeling is that the light on the beach to the right and the clouds lend something to the overall setting. Your thoughts and ideas will be well appreciated.
Thanks,
Andrew

[Marie Hass]

Andrew, I rather like it. I like the light on the buildings.

This picture takes me back. Dolles in the background? Great salt water taffy.

I grew up in Baltimore and spent many a summer up and down the Eastern Shore (Fenwick Island, Rehobeth Beach, Ocean City, Assateague Island and Chincoteague Island).

'Rie

[DavidM]

I like the light on the building too. I am less sure of the foreground, maybe try a crop.

[NorthernFocus]

With the explanation I can see your idea. But what you state as the primary subject occupies an awfully small portion of the frame. The fence occupies over half of the frame and doesn't lead my eye to the sign either.

But I'm a lot better at critiquing landscapes than at shooting them. So take it for what it's worth

[dennybeall]

I understand what you were trying to do. When I first looked at the picture it appeared to be a poorly lighted fence, then my eyes were drawn to a lighted area in the left rear of the frame and then just noticed the lighted area to the upper right background. Just didn't do it for me I guess.

[dje]

Hi Andrew

For me, the fence is a distraction in this image. I would crop the image on the left just to the right of the large post, and at the bottom just below the large single clump of grass in the middle, giving a panoramic shot. When I tried that, I found it enhanced the image considerably IMO.

Dave

[IzzieK]

+1 to Dave's comment. I was rather thinking of the same panoramic crop from the bottom, lesser fence foreground. Just move your image around lytebox and see what you think too...

[shreds]

I can see why the sign attracted you but to me the fence does exactly the opposite of what you intended and leads my eye off to there ocean to the right.

I can see that you were trying to use the fences to enclose the elements which you want to draw the viewer to, but maybe moving to the right might have worked better?

[AB26]

Andrew, it is an interesting shot.

Straighten the horizon and get a tad closer to the buildings, like this:



The larger you view it the better it gets.

[Shadowman]

Light on the horizon and cloud formation look fine, less so for the foreground.

[chauncey]

In my rare forays into landscape, I prefer to keep it simple. You chose leading lines into the light
when the light was sufficient to draw the eye...assuming that you would want a picture of sunlit
beachfront property hanging in your living room.

[FrankMi]

Hi Andrew, although 'bright' and 'text (Dollies)' are viewer attention getters, so is 'big'. The massive dark foreground is taking a lot of attention from the buildings that you want accentuated. Even if the foreground was lighter this would be the case. Although the well lit buildings will grab some attention, the leading lines of the fence are drawing the eye to the lower right hand corner and to the large post on the left, rather than 'to' the buildings.

A simple crop of the foreground to the top of the lowest picket in the fence removes sufficient dark mass to correct that issue but leaves the subject smack in the middle of the horizon. It may also make the resulting image's aspect ratio wider than what would be appropriate for this scene.

You could open the image in lightbox and use your mouse to move the image around, letting the edges of the frame act as a temporary cropping tool to see if you can find a point where the building has the prominence you are looking for without removing any more of the fence then necessary.

Andre's example crop goes a long way toward addressing these issues and puts the Dolles sign fairly close to the 1/3rd position. I would consider loosing the remainder of the post on the left and a bit of beach on the right to see if the lines flow more comfortably for the eye to follow around the remaining triangle formed by the fences and row of buildings. The flow of the triangle is a bit difficult to follow as two of the three points are on the edges of the frame which tends to take the viewer's attention out of the image at those points.

IMHO, the real solution would have been to use a longer lens and step back a bit so that the foreground is still a definitive part of the composition but not as massive as it is when a wider lens is used. The flow of the triangle could then potentially be contained completely within the frame of the composition.

Hope this helps!

[Texas Dave]

It's almost as if I can't decide on what the subject is, the buildings or the fence. I see what your after but it just isn't working for me.

It may be even more divided considering the over all shade of the fence.

[selig1656]

Many terrific suggestions already given, concept is great , needs to be adjusted mainly in the forefront as suggested either try cropping , straighten the pic out and and may be a little sharpening. I grew up on the Jersey shore , good old Asbury park. In my later years we spent 17 years down at Ocean City , N.J. for the summers, something I long to do once again. Thanks for memories.

[Krawuntzel]

My feeling is that the light on the beach to the right and the clouds lend something to the overall setting. Your thoughts and ideas will be well appreciated.

As others remarked: the fence is it not.
For me something like the following could have worked. Just a suggestion - maybe I entirely missed your intent.
Erwin
editing: excuse me: I did not ask whether I could "re-edit" your picture. If you say, don't do it, I will delete.

[AndrewMcD]

Thanks for all the useful comments and edits. I've learned much. I do frustrate myself with the challenges of composition. I will persevere as I do enjoy the process. This particular thread has provided a good deal of food for thought about the way I see and compose images.

[mugge]

I have no problem with the foreground at all. My eyes traversed the whole length to a well
lit building. The final image is a well lit building. My eyes are not moving anymore. That is
only my opinion
Cheers Mugge

[MrB]

Andre's edit has improved the composition, but the foreground remains problematic for me as it is just too dull. If the fence and sand are intended to lead the viewer to the man-made structure, then I want to see them. A gentle boosting of the brightness and contrast there makes the foreground interest into an interesting foreground that I want to follow into the image.

Cheers.
Philip