I like it and don't?

[Jimmy B]

There has been little to no PP on this. I like it but something in my head says No good?
Let me know what you see in it or don't see.
Jimmy B

[Greg McCary]

I like the angle you used. I wish the boat in the front was not cut off, I would also sharpen it and add a little saturation to see if it would make it pop a little more.
Greg

[ravenmore]

I agree w/Greg on the composition suggestions. I also tenatively would like to suggest trying an hdr here. It might bring out more dramatic detail in the sky and hence in the reflection of the sky in the water.

[Jaedon]

If you want to bring out the sky with an HDR you'd have to shoot really fast. Since there is a static foreground the sky will get a motion blur with an HDR as you shoot the different exposure settings. Since the sky is generally moving quicker than we think it is. You could mock up an HDR by making a bunch of exposure adjustments to this image and then stacking them...but I don't know how well that would work.

I think a slight saturation boost and a curves layer or some type of contrast adjustment will make the sky pop a lot more personally. I like the leading lines and the subject works well for me.

I agree with the comment about the front boat, but it isn't overly detrimental to the image at hand.

[ravenmore]

bumping the saturation and contrast might do the trick, absolutely. But if you have an opportunity you've got nothing lose shooting some bracketed exposures and giving the hdr a whirl to see what you get. It might be rubbish or it might really work, you won't know for sure until you try. I just suggested it because IME (which is still limited in regards to hdr), this is precisely the kind of scene they are useful on.

[Medley]

ravenmore has a point on not having anything to lose with bracketing. However, I find that bracketing usually doesn't give me enough range of exposure for a really good HDR, so if you try it, my advice would be to use the widest bracketing settings possible for your camera.

On the pp, before I did any saturation adjustment, I would try a levels adjustment on the individual channels. I think you'll find that it will make the sky 'pop' a bit more. (I live in Oregon, and see a lot of the same kind of skies.)

You have essentially two choices on the sharpening. IMO, the best choice is to use a small radius to accentuate the foreground. However, doing so won't improve the sky much. Using a large radius will improve the sky, but the large halos will actually obscure some detail on the boats and dock, softening them.

Also, on the subject of saturation, a Lab color boost would work fairly well on this photo. You can find a tutorial for this method in the digital Imaging sub-forum.

-Joe U.

[Jimmy B]

Thank you all for the responses, my PS are very limited. So what is HDR? What I did do is crop, Played a small amount with levels and hit the sharpen (generic). I will play with it some more this evening and see what I can make happen.
Jimmy B

[Greg McCary]

Thank you all for the responses, my PS are very limited. So what is HDR? What I did do is crop, Played a small amount with levels and hit the sharpen (generic). I will play with it some more this evening and see what I can make happen.
Jimmy B

You have to have CS2 for an HDR, Basically you take 5 or more shots at different exposures and the software combines all of the images for one perfectly exposed shot, but you need a tripod. I am not real good at it, but have tried it a few times.
greg

[Medley]

Here's a thread that talks specifically about HDR images: HDR questions

-Joe U.

[Jimmy B]

Thanks Joe, At this point it is beyond my immediate grasp in the PS version and my abilities with that program.
I do have a tripod and a wireless remote, I will give it consideration in the future. Thanks to all for critiquing the shot.
Jimmy B

[trog100]

that is reasonable representation of the scene at the time u took the picture.. its a dull day.. the exposure is about correct.. it has "boats"..

it is what it is.. just a picture of some boats taken on a dull day..

u could try some different lighting conditions or (as most seem to favour on this forum) fake it with photoshop.. he he

trog

[Mr Yuck]

My suggestion is on composition, this is a beautiful scene, but I wish it was a wider view.

So keep shooting in vertical format, to get the masts in, I like your "vertical" composition and Field of View, but it could be wider.

To do this, simply take 3 shots, from where you stand, overlap them so you have a wider view, then use Autopano-SIFT and Hugin/Emblend to stitch it together. (linked on the autopano page)

It's far enough on the right IMO, but I'd like to see more of the left hand boats.

[Jimmy B]

Trog WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? For the Seattle area this is a bright day!
Thanks Mr Yuk, when you get up here we will try to hook up and shoot?
Jimmy B

[Greg McCary]

Trog convinced me to get a graduate filter. It is a good way to get better detail in the sky and foreground. I haven't used mine much, but i can see it is going to help a lot. They aren't that expensive when it comes to filters.
Greg

[trog100]

"Trog WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? For the Seattle area this is a bright day!"

and heres me thinking all America is like california..

do have have any pics of a "dull" Seattle day just so as i know.. he he

trog

[Jimmy B]

Trog, My rebel isn't water tight, but I will get you one!
I think it's funny when folks from Socal come up here and whine about our weather. Low 50s and rain and drizzle all this week.
Jimmy B w/ webbed feet:-)

[freygr]

Trog, My rebel isn't water tight, but I will get you one!
I think it's funny when folks from Socal come up here and whine about our weather. Low 50s and rain and drizzle all this week.
Jimmy B w/ webbed feet:-)

North Westerner's don't tan WE rust........
PS If you don't like our weather just wait 5 minutes....

[readingr]

For me this shot is too static. There is no movement to excite the sailor in me. Its also has no story to it so its doing nothing for me. It could do with people enjoying the boats or working on them or something extra.

As trog said it is what it is, a marina shot and boy do I have loads of them, and not one has made me excited.

What I do like about the shot is the lighting and the clouds, which show a dull day brilliantly, but that's about it.

What is that a boat port? Only the Americans could come up with that . Oh I just read some of the other posts, is this for snow protection?

Roger