Sailboat (aka Just in Case)

[Digital]

C&C welcomed. I shot this pic a couple of years ago using a window mount on my vehicle.
Bruce

[MrB]

If it had been possible - e.g. if the boat was drifting right - it would be better without the buildings and the tall dome in the background.

Philip

[Digital]

Is this any better?

[Manfred M]

Somewhat better Bruce, but the house in the background really should not be there.

A lot of photographers concentrate on the subject so much that the have trouble identifying issues with elements in the foreground and background that are going to end up being distractions. Try to teach yourself to look at the whole scene and only press the shutter release when the whole image comes together well, not just part of it.

[DanK]

Manfred put this very well. the issue is the image as a whole, not the subject, and the brightly illuminated house is a real problem. Backgrounds matter.

I deal with this problem a lot because I do a lot of candids of kids, so I can't control the background and end up tossing some images for that reason.

[Donald]

I agree with Manfred, Bruce. Everything that you see in the frame (viewfinder/ back screen) before you press the shutter has to be there for a reason. If it hasn't got to play a part in the overall image that you visualise before you press, then don't (press the shutter). See the quote that I use in my signature below.

[MrB]

Is this any better?

As suggested in the other comments, the problem is the distraction caused by the background buildings. If the boat was moving to the right, or if you could have moved to the left, it looks as though the shot might have been captured with a background only of trees.

Philip

[DanK]

For this reason, some street photographers start by picking the setting and background and then wait for interesting stuff to happen in front of it.

[BobGilbody]

Why not leave the image as is and give it a different name?
Escaping the house.
Leaving my wife.
I'm off to see the world.
Leaving before the water tower tramples the house.

If a photo is a means of communication then what does the original photo communicate?

In my opinion it is a comment on the existential nature of nature and life itself. [ nay just having a lend, it's about searching for lost treasure ]

[escape]

If the sailboat weren't there, the photo would be more successful, just depicting a waterfront home. I selected the boat and water and changed the background in photoshop. I used an image I had of a background that lacked a subject. The two paired up nicely. I did it just for practice. So even though it doesn't completely work, it can still be used to create something new and pleasing.