Calm - II

[Kaye Leggett]

A couple of days ago, I was on the beach on the Norfolk Coast enjoying a beautiful day. In my last Calm posting (Calm) a recurring theme was the request for some human interest........

A different beach - a different day - but all remains calm

C&C appreciated

[Shadowman]

It is interesting how beaches are used and who has access to the area. Nicely captured.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Kaye,

I moved this around in LyteBox, but found you have the crop just right, removing any of the negative space just puts too much emphasis on the 'human of interest'

This is one of those times to successfully break the rule of thirds, well done.

My only suggestion would be to clone out that little white stick in the foreground sand, as I find it attracts my attention to readily.

Cheers, Dave

[Sam W]

Nicely composed Kaye!

[John 2]

That's very nice captured and I like the gentleness of the conversion as well.

[Mike Buckley]

Wonderful conversion and composition. No footprints in the foreground sand. Perfect positioning of the woman framed by the water that sort of wraps around her.

[Mike Buckley]

This is one of those times to successfully break the rule of thirds, well done.

I understand what you mean. Even so, I think we as photographers would be much better off we thought in terms of using the so-called rules only when appropriate. The important implication for me is that the decision to not use a rule is not the same as breaking the rule. I think of it as opting out.

Considering that we're discussing the so-called rules, one of them is to avoid placing the horizon in the center. It's a ridiculous rule in my mind because placing it in the center can be so effective, as perfectly demonstrated by the success of this particular image.

[Dave Humphries]

Considering that we're discussing the so-called rules, one of them is to avoid placing the horizon in the center. It's a ridiculous rule in my mind because placing it in the center can be so effective, as perfectly demonstrated by the success of this particular image.

Indeed, I chose the phrase primarily to cover the horizon, but it also suited for the person - 2 in 1 go.

As you say Mike, they are (all) just guidelines really, I'd suggest they are more helpful for those starting out that perhaps don't appreciate what can make a 'better' composition and who want to 'improve their odds' when out shooting. Once we develop our 'seeing eye', the need to follow them disappears.

Of course, there may occasionally be the odd exceptional person that intuitively always takes a good composition without being aware of the guidelines/rules - the 'natural'.

[ShaneS]

Lovely image Kaye!

[Donald]

I agree with the views of others - a beautiful image.

Excellent composition. Everything is in just the right place. I say 'everything' but the beauty is that there are very few elements: - A person; the sea; the sand; the sky.

Gorgeous.

[RList]

I agree with the views of others - a beautiful image.

Excellent composition. Everything is in just the right place. I say 'everything' but the beauty is that there are very few elements: - A person; the sea; the sand; the sky.

Gorgeous.

That is the beauty, Donald. Calm and serene

[Kaye Leggett]

It is interesting how beaches are used and who has access to the area. Nicely captured.

Thanks for looking as ever John - your consistent enthusiasm is an encouragement to us all. In the UK, with the exception of a very few places, the beaches are public. You can own the land up to the edge of the beach, but the beach is public property. Good Friday (when this was shot) was the first proper spring day and as it is also a public holiday, there were many people out on it. The sea goes out for a mile so there was plenty of room for everybody.

[Kaye Leggett]

Hi Kaye,

I moved this around in LyteBox, but found you have the crop just right, removing any of the negative space just puts too much emphasis on the 'human of interest'

This is one of those times to successfully break the rule of thirds, well done.

My only suggestion would be to clone out that little white stick in the foreground sand, as I find it attracts my attention to readily.

Cheers, Dave

Thanks Dave - this was one of many I took on the beach on Friday encapsulating many forms of human interest - but I liked this one the best.

Clone - consider it done !!

[Kaye Leggett]

Wonderful conversion and composition. No footprints in the foreground sand. Perfect positioning of the woman framed by the water that sort of wraps around her.

Thanks Sam, John and Mike. Mike the tide goes out for a mile and we were following the tide out - not many people got as far as we did, so it was easy to avoid the footprints in the sand on this part of the beach. The sea was calm and the waves merely ripples - truly lovely

[Shadowman]

Thanks for looking as ever John - your consistent enthusiasm is an encouragement to us all. In the UK, with the exception of a very few places, the beaches are public. You can own the land up to the edge of the beach, but the beach is public property. Good Friday (when this was shot) was the first proper spring day and as it is also a public holiday, there were many people out on it. The sea goes out for a mile so there was plenty of room for everybody.

Kaye,

I appreciate the comment. Good to see such a beautiful looking area gets a lot of use by the public; of course that access comes with some reservations depending on how the area gets used.

[Kaye Leggett]

Robert, Donald, Shane - thank you for looking and commenting.

[Kaye Leggett]

Kaye,

I appreciate the comment. Good to see such a beautiful looking area gets a lot of use by the public; of course that access comes with some reservations depending on how the area gets used.

By and large our beaches are very well looked after and cherished by all. In Britain you are never more than about 70 miles from the sea and I don't know anyone who doesn't like them in some measure be it on a gloriously hot summers day or a truly windy wild winter one. I would love to live by the sea, sadly for most of my life I have been that 70 miles away always having lived in the middle of the country....but one day..............

[IzzieK]

Kaye...what a wonderful image, very good composition too. It is a pleasant isolation, just to be able to think alone and be alone like that is sometimes a wish especially if one lives in the 'burbs and cities.

[Kaye Leggett]

Thanks Izzie

[Manfred M]

+1 to Mike's comment. It's a good shot, Kate. It works (and +1 to Dave's comments on the white stick(s) in the foreground).

A sort of quote from the professor teaching the photographic composition course that I took last year went along the lines of "the rules of composition work, except when they don't".

I have stuck to that thought ever since.