Early morning fog

[Katie Rupp]

It was so still and cool when I took this and it was that feeling I was trying to capture. What do you think?

Canon 40D; Av f4; 1/1600; Eval -1/3; ISO 400; 24-105 @70mm

[Gus Cobos]

Hi Katie,
I like the image; would suggest on boosting up the contrast just slightly and rotate the image clock wise a few degrees...:) good show my lady...:D I like it...:cool:

[Desmond Chan]

I like the mood. In an ideal world, I would have put the boats in different spots, probably also had fewer of them, too.

[Bruce Murden]

Good job on capturing the mood here. I like the dreamy misty feel of the boats, and their arrangement is pretty good (watch the merge on the two right-most boats). The heaviness of the pier (due to its high contrast compared to the rest of the scene) keeps me in the FG and not getting as much to the boats. My personal preference would be to try a spot that keeps the pier out of the view, and also keeps out the mast on the left and the little pole (another mast?) sticking up behind the right end of the pier.

[Brian Wong]

Hi Katie!

I love how you are trying to capture the mood with the misty boats and reflections. The water was calm and the light was mysterious. The pier is in a nice diagonal and is leading toward your subject. I agree with Bruce that the pier is too "heavy" ... it has much more contrast, and is very defined compared to your subject ... and that tends to draw the eye away from your subject. Do you mind if I try playing around with some PS manipulation on it?

[Gus Hallgren]

Hi Katie:

The dreamy mood of the boats and reflections are lovely .. .think it would be perfect without the pier. Just my humble opinion . . . .

Uncle gus

[Katie Rupp]

Thank you all for your comments, and yes, Brian, have a go! It's funny how we see things differently---the dark pier with the lines and contrast was part of what made me stop and take this picture:) however, I agree that cloning out the masts from the unseen boats is a good idea. Again, thanks for looking and critiquing, I really do want to learn/improve.

[Brian Wong]

Thank you all for your comments, and yes, Brian, have a go! It's funny how we see things differently---the dark pier with the lines and contrast was part of what made me stop and take this picture:) however, I agree that cloning out the masts from the unseen boats is a good idea. Again, thanks for looking and critiquing, I really do want to learn/improve.


Hi Katie!

For "Early Morning fog" ... I was thinking more of the dreamy fog around the boats. As you are the artist, this is your image, and what you saw! I want you to express yourself and know that I am just trying to connect with your feelings. I agree that the pier has many interesting lines and angles, and has great potential itself!

Please forgive my PS manipulation to your image. My impression was to make the boat rather than the pier was the subject. On this alternative version, I attempted to drive the eye to the misty, foggy boat, that is calmly sitting on the mysterious foggy water. As the subject, I placed it close to 1/3 power point of the image. I tried to keep a triad of boats together, and made that the brightest area. I decided to remove all the other boats to simplify the image. The pier was stretched and "fogged" (sorry:() to make it less "heavy" in the image. I was hoping that a vanishing point would also lead the eye to the mysterious boat. I also tried some color shading and vignetting for some control.

Please know that this is only a suggestion for an alternate version. There is no "right" or "wrong" here ... and I definitely have no claim here that this version is an improvement!:confused: I am learning here also, and just thought I suggest this idea.:)

[Gus Hallgren]

Lovedly redo, the pier came ouit more of a winner than I imagined, great artistic imagination that is explained in your story . . . . I love it . . . Uncle Gus

[Katie Rupp]

Brian,
This is great; I love your vision and the pier works here! I'm glad you changed it and I have absolutely no problem with seeing a different interpretation...that's a great way to open the mind. I'm still learning PS and haven't worked with "vanishing point" but I'll see what I can do with your inspiration.
Thanks!
Katie

[Nonda Surratt]

Katie,

I also love the mood, wonderful image! Suggestions have been made so..

Really , really like Brians re-post!!!

[Oscar Zangroniz]

Great image Katie. Very soft calm mood to it. Excellent repost.

[Alberto Oria]

Congratulations guys, for the original and the repost, both views are great

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hi Katie,
I think the above comments were well thought out and explained and I do like Brian's version also. I am going to comment on something that I try to convey to participants on my tours...........when you find something in the field that grabs your eye and you truly like.........keep working it. Copose the first image you noticed and then try working different angles. Judging from the image.......I would have walked out onto the edge of the dock..........trying to get isolation and seperation between the boats.....I would have walked way to the right.......pushing the dock further back into the fog while still trying for boat isolation.........and even getting to the lower edge of the water for another perspective. This is one of the few advantages we have as landscape photographers over other types of photography.......our subject tends not to move as much :D so exploring different angles and compositions when a scene emotionally grabs us.........is the most important tool.
All in all you captured the mood very well.......which is the hardest part.