Landscape (Seascape) photo- critique please

[CIC]

Hello

I hope all the members here are keeping well.

After a long time, I got a chance to travel out of the city to visit the coastlines. Here is one image from the collection about which I would welcome your insights.
I have not replaced the sky. I applied a graduated filter to bring out the sky and changed the white balance from 'Auto' to a little warmer.

Please let me know your thoughts on the following:

1. Overall critique of the image.

2. I have made a B&W version too. Please comment on that too.

3. I was wondering whether it is possible to paint certain parts of the image a little warmer/cooler (for example, making the sun rays coming out of the cloud a little warmer- not applicable for this image). If yes, please point me some good tutorials.

I would also like to thank the members here for helping me to choose the Nikkor 10-20mm which has opened up a new horizon for me in terms of composition. This photo is also taken with the same lens.

Thank you all in advance.

[Manfred M]

Your title is misleading as this image is not a sea-scape, but rather an image featuring sandals and footprints.

The sea and sky are, in my view, distracting elements and the image would be stronger without them. The crop at the bottom is too tight and more space is needed. The work you did on them, with the grad filter is not working, for me.

The image is very much quite monochrome already and see no advantage of going to B&W.

[DanK]

I disagree with Manfred. I don't consider the sky a distraction. For an example of a very famous photograph that has a small border of sky at the top, look at Edward Weston's "Tomato Field, Big Sur" (https://www.getty.edu/art/collection...-june-30-1937/).

However, I do have a problem with the image. With the large vertical distance between the sandals and the sky, I found my eyes constantly flicking back between the sandals and the sky. There's no center. Part of the issue is that the two high-contrast areas (the sandals and sky) are at the border. You could have lessened this issue by placing the sandals closer to the water line.

I think the color is better. The B&W, as it is done here, obscures detail.

[Geoff F]

Not quite working for me either; although a nice idea.

Firstly which is most important to you, the sandals or the sea/sky.

The footprints, coming from the sandals, seem to suggest someone with a somewhat deformed left leg?

I tend to agree with the previous comments, which offer two different options. I would be tempted to try leaving out the sandals and retaining the sea but with better footprints?

[escape]

Interesting image. Not sure how the footprints were created. You can see the ridges of sand under the footprint unefected. No visible disturbance of the sand. Looks like some work went into creating this image. Pretty good.

[CIC]

Thank you very much @Manfred, @Geoff, @Dan and @Daniel for your kind inputs.
I believe the disagreement about the composition enriches photography as an art form.
I also felt that excluding the sky and the water actually robs the image of its destination. I have a composition similar to that but excluded the same during the final post-production.

It would be really helpful if you could assist me with point number 3.
There is a reason for asking that and it is related to this image. There was a dusky hue on the white water which I could not emphasize. I feel that if I can emphasize the same, the eyes of a viewer will have a point to settle instead of darting back and forth as Dan has pointed out and also give a purpose to the presence of the sky and the water, lack of which has bothered Manfred.

@Daniel, the footprints were very real and made by my son, but originally not done as an element of this shot.
@Geoff, I can assure you that neither of his legs is deformed, though I have no idea why he decided to walk like that.

Thank you all again.

[Manfred M]

It would be really helpful if you could assist me with point number 3.
There is a reason for asking that and it is related to this image. There was a dusky hue on the white water which I could not emphasize. I feel that if I can emphasize the same, the eyes of a viewer will have a point to settle instead of darting back and forth as Dan has pointed out and also give a purpose to the presence of the sky and the water, lack of which has bothered Manfred.

There are a number of different approaches to doing so and it depends on the post-processing tools that you are using. The techniques can be anything from local colour adjustments through to colour grading. I'm just not completely sure as to what you are trying to do.

One direction I thought that this image might go is to reduce the red (as well as the cyans and blues) in the sky and add yellow. For the water, I just painted over some yellow I sampled from the sand using low flow to build up the look.

[CIC]

Thank you Manfred for your reply.

I am looking for techniques to paint certain parts of the image to enhance certain colours. For example, enhancing the sun rays seeping through the foliage or light bursts from behind the clouds.

[Manfred M]

Thank you Manfred for your reply.

I am looking for techniques to paint certain parts of the image to enhance certain colours. For example, enhancing the sun rays seeping through the foliage or light bursts from behind the clouds.

For those issues, look up luminosity masks. I suspect that will go a long way in covering off those needs. I do all of my luminosity masks using the Select Color functionality in Photoshop.

[CIC]

Thank you so much, Manfred. I shall surely take a look at that. If possible, do suggest some good starting points, please.

[Manfred M]

Thank you so much, Manfred. I shall surely take a look at that. If possible, do suggest some good starting points, please.

I'm not quite sure what you mean. Google the functionality I suggested or see if there are some good videos on YouTube.

Working with it is the only way to figure this out.

[Wavelength]

I too like the color version and also the second edit by Manfred very much

[CIC]

Thank you so much for your replies.