BOATS IN NEED OF CRITIQUE

[GERRYG]

DIDN'T DO TO WELL ON THE LAST PICTURE SO I'LL TRY AGAIN.

[Theo Dibbits]

Gerry

I keep looking at this picture and I keep putting my hand over the two boats on the right.
I think the image woould be much stronger without them. It is just as if they split the image in 2.

Just my thoughts

Theo

[GERRYG]

Hi Theo,
If I did as you say I would end up with two PORTrait pictures with the boats in the centre. I think the landscape view is better for is picture. I think that the other two boats adds balance to the picture. Who agrees with Theo, and who agrees with me. Comments welcome, good or bad . Gerry

[Tracey McGovern]

Hi Gerry

I think I prefer this image to the statue you posted.

I like the detail in the boat on the left and the view point, it looks like you have taken this in the water, which you obviously haven't or maybe you have - do you own a wetsuit? Anyhow, it's taken from really low down which I think adds to the image.

Regarding if the boats on the right should remain, I think I prefer them in the picture rather than not in, what I keep getting drawn to are the clouds at the top of the image, I can't decide if these are from another image and have been brought in to give the sky interest or were really like that when you took it, did you use a graduation filter or use the gradutated filter tool in photoshop, they look almost mono compared to the rest of the image. Either way, I think this is a stronger image than the statue.

Tracey

[John]

This is very strong, with a really powerful low shot of that boat. The out of focus areas are cleverly done, but don't add up. The houses are OOF, but the sky, which is just as far away, is sharp. There's some clever work gone on here perhaps, but the overall effect is very striking, whatever has been done!

[PhilipHowe]

I like the colours on the boats, howver, I agree with Theo, I don't think the boats on the right add anything either, as I don't see any interest in them.
I think the whole photo is too dark, especially the clouds, which I like, but the sharpness, as John says, is too much for me. I like the light under the left boat, a very good angle.

I'm also drawn to the chains on top of the boat on the left, I know they were there when you took it, but they look over sharpened to me (then again, sharpening and photoshop is another topic for me).

I like the image as it is, I think I'd like it better if cropped the boats on the right off.

[GERRYG]

Hi Tracy,
Nice to see you back, but sorry to her about your camera. I was low down on the banking when I took the shoot, I can't swim. I know people think I change sky's but no in this picture. the only thing I have done is cropped and removed a buoy from the picture. By the way, the Pageant of Power copy-right has just been sold to CPOP for £3500 for their adverts next year. Gerry

[GERRYG]

Hi Philip,
I'm abit puzzled, this picture was taken with Tracy's 150MM to 500MM lense. Taken at about 350MM which shortens the depth of field. ALL the picture from behind the first boat is unsharp including the sky. Again the picture has had NO treatment to it. Not sure about the to dark bit, I have 4 computers, and all look the same to me. Oversharp ???

[Paul Jones]

I think the landscape view is better for is picture.
I think that the other two boats adds balance to the picture.
Who agrees with Theo, and who agrees with me.
Comments welcome, good or bad

Here's one more vote for Theo then...

[PhilipHowe]

Gerry, what aperture did you use?

[Stu B]

Im with the landscape version, would like to have seen the background a little moe out of focus. But Im knitpicking.

[paulinefisher]

I really like the light on the main boat and the sky is incredible (I also thought it had been imported from elsewhere). I am in the camp that thinks the boats on the right are surplus to requirement, I would like to see you work your magic and remove then but retain the landscape format. Would that be possible

[GERRYG]

look at the boat after critique, it now looks unbalanced. I'll try one more thing on it to see if I can please both camps.

[TerryMooney]

Gerry - I like the contrasty and saturated colours and the dark brooding sky.

But - there is always a but - I feel the left hand side needs cropping to just keep the whole of the anchor chain in view.
Next - tone down or clone the sunlit house in the background on the left hand side.
Next to last - clone out the bright aerial rising from the superstructure.
This will allow cropping to some sky which should return balance to the landscape format. Maybe also a little cropping of the foreground but only a little.
The discussion regarding the inclusion of the two boats on the right - I agree they do balance the picture - just the far one would have been better but of course that is'nt possible. (Or is it??).
I like the picture - hope my ideas/modifications/tweekings makes sense.

I also like the photo and treatment of the statue - congratulations are in order on the sale of the copyright.

TerryMooney