War Grave, Islay

[Donald]

40D, 70-200 f4 L IS @155mm. ISO 100. 1/50@f8. Manual. 10:57

One week after Great Britain declared war on Germany in August 1914 the Otranto was requisitioned by the Admiralty for conversion to an auxiliary cruiser.

On 6 October 1918 HMS Otranto collided with HMS Kashnir, a liner turned troopship, in poor visibility in the rough seas between the North East coast of Ireland and the Western Isles of Scotland. She was holed on the port side forward and, in the heavy swell, began to list. The stricken ship then hit rocks off Islay and became grounded. With the heavy seas pounding her continually against the rocks the ship eventually broke up and sank with the loss of 431 lives (351 American troops and 80 British crew members)

[carregwen]

TBH, Donald, I think it needs some drama. Images of statues and monuments (and I do them myself) need some dramatic backdrop to set them off. I think the sky here is very pale and doesn't help the shot at all. Sad story.

[Donald]

I think it needs some drama.

I know what you mean. This is just behind me. But I couldn't get the height nor the angle to make anything decent out of it.

[Donald]

Images of statues and monuments ... need some dramatic backdrop to set them off.

Rob

Is this more along the lines of what you meant. This is not a keeper as the focus is not spot-on. However, hauled it out of the 'bin-it' folder just to get your thoughts.


40D, 70-200 f4 L IS @ 93mm. ISO 100. 1/40@f4. Manual.

[rick55]

Hi, Donald;

Sorry, late to this thread. I think the second is a better composition than the first, for two reasons. The background certainly sets off the monument. And in the first, the dark cross on the face of the monument is right on the edge, which makes it nearly disappear. On the second, the view is more face-on, so the dark cross jumps out more. Dark cross with light monument in front of dark background seems much stronger.

Could you possibly do the first perspective at morning or evening twilight (depending on which direction it faces) so that you'd have some light on the face but a dark sky behind?

Cheers,
Rick

[carregwen]

Second one is much better, Donald. The dark face of the rock sets off the cross and makes it stand out much more. The focus doesn't look too bad - what did you mean? (puzzled smilie here)

[benm]

I like the second one better, too. It might be improved by cropping off the bottom, like this (and clone out the fence posts):

[Donald]

Ben, Rob, Rick

You've made me reappraise this 'failure'. There's a lesson in here I need to learn about critically analysing my own images, never mind those of anyone else. But I'll do that tomorrow. At the moment it's a glorious evening. I'm sitting out in the garden with a bottle of something rather nice and no longer able to engage in objective assessment!!

[carregwen]

At the moment it's a glorious evening. I'm sitting out in the garden with a bottle of something rather nice and no longer able to engage in objective assessment!!

Laptop? Left hand, cloning tool, right hand, burger flip. Chardonnay straw in your mouth.

[arith]

I like the sword, emphasis should be placed on the sword. Slight very slight blurring of the background would make it even better, Some dark contrast maybe... It is nice as it is, the second, the second I don't mean the first, but emphasis on the sword.... I think will work better.