Pilings, Puget Sound

[jasonrandolph]

I shot this over 5 years ago, but only recently spotted in my LR catalog.  What do you all think?

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

It's quite lovely. Nice composition and beautiful tonalities. I wish i had taken it.

Eric

[shutterpup]

I had to look twice at the location info you provided. In the subject matter and tonality, it is reminiscent of those beautiful, simple, elegant shots of the Asian landscape. I too wish I had taken it.

[kikashi]

It's quite lovely. Nice composition and beautiful tonalities. I wish i had taken it.

Eric

So do I. Great sky!

Jeremy

[spbimages]

I like the tone/mood of the image very much. But I would have cropped off the bottom a little bit. May when you took it there was more interest in the sky along with the pilings.

Good work,
Steve

[wolfnowl]

Put me in the 'great work' group, but like Steve I'd be tempted to remove a bit from the bottom, just to offset the 'everything centered' look.

Mike.

[jasonrandolph]

Thank you all for the comments and suggestions.  I'll play around with the cropping to see what works best.

[kikashi]

Thank you all for the comments and suggestions.  I'll play around with the cropping to see what works best.

Shh! Don't tell Russ!

If you do, he'll say what I (an avid cropper, when I think the need arises) would say regarding this shot: leave it alone.

Jeremy

[shutterpup]

Those of you who want to crop the bottom: just how much? Will it improve or destroy the balance of the picture?

[jasonrandolph]

The reflection of the sky's light definitely will stay.  I think that's an essential element.

After messing around with crops, I think it works best as-is.  I'm partial to the square format anyway, which is why I cropped it this way initially.  Regardless, thanks for the continued feedback.

[David Saffir]

very nicely done - dark and moody - I like the stormy sky and its reflection. The pilings add a spiky contrast to the softer rounded cloud shapes. Have you considered cropping a bit of the foreground?

David Saffir


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[Alan Klein]

I like the foreboding sky.   I'm in the crop bottom camp.  Right below the darker slice section of reflected sky that is lighter.  Then the bottom and the top act as bookends for the main subject in the middle.  Otherwise the gray at the bottom pulls your eye away from the subject.   But it's a good shot regardless.  Alan

[jule]

The reflection of the sky's light definitely will stay.  I think that's an essential element.

After messing around with crops, I think it works best as-is.  I'm partial to the square format anyway, which is why I cropped it this way initially.  Regardless, thanks for the continued feedback.

Yep... Jason I agree that the balance between the moodiness of the sky and the foreground is just perfect. I wouldn't crop a thing.

Julie

[RSL]

Good for you, Julie.

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

Having tried cropping a little off the bottom I must say I agree with Jeremy, Julie and Russ: Jason got it right the first time. No crop needed.

Eric

[jasonrandolph]

Many thanks for the feedback from all of you.

[popnfresh]

It's a good photograph, but it bothers me that some of the pilings are tangent with the tree line. They're a bit too far back from the foreground. I think you needed a slightly higher camera angle on this.

[jule]

It's a good photograph, but it bothers me that some of the pilings are tangent with the tree line. They're a bit too far back from the foreground. I think you needed a slightly higher camera angle on this.

hmmm ..interesting thought popnfresh, but if the camera was higher, the outside pilings in particular would have no visual attachment to the other elements and the pilings would just be isolated visually in the water. I personally think the camera angle as is, provides a visual link between the pilings and the background. The lights at the tops of the outer ones provide just enough feature to provide differentiation.
Julie

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

hmmm ..interesting thought popnfresh, but if the camera was higher, the outside pilings in particular would have no visual attachment to the other elements and the pilings would just be isolated visually in the water. I personally think the camera angle as is, provides a visual link between the pilings and the background. The lights at the tops of the outer ones provide just enough feature to provide differentiation.
Julie

Again I agree, and again I say: Jason got it right the first time.

[popnfresh]

hmmm ..interesting thought popnfresh, but if the camera was higher, the outside pilings in particular would have no visual attachment to the other elements and the pilings would just be isolated visually in the water. I personally think the camera angle as is, provides a visual link between the pilings and the background. The lights at the tops of the outer ones provide just enough feature to provide differentiation.
Julie

I think the pilings would work better as graphic elements if they weren't touching the tree line. So yes, I think the photograph would be more interesting visually if they were isolated in the water.