Portland Breakwater Lighthouse

[Grady Weed]

Canon EOS 5D, Shooting Date/Time: 9/28/2008 17:53:37, Shutter Speed 1/50Sec. Av(Aperture Value) F8.0, Evaluative metering, Exposure Compensation +1 1/3, ISO 400, Lens: EF28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM, Focal Length: 90.0 mm. Cropped for a 9x12, hand held while kneeling on one knee about 3/4 up the breakwater.

I decided to walk closer than before to grab as much detail and range as I could. It was overcast, cold, very little wind and fast fading available light. This light is old and automated, like me. If you like lighthouses, then consider buying a book entitled "Lighthouses of Maine" by Bill Caldwell. Published by Down East Books. ISBN # 0-89272-585-0 for $15.95. It has every lighthouse ever built in Maine, it's history etc. It is worth the investment.

I hope you enjoy this image. Let me know what you like, or don't like.

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Grady,
I like the distant silhouette of the land. It looks to need a CW rotation??? I would definitely get rid of the bird in the LR water corner. I'm debating the central placement of the light.........but I know the RH side of the breakwater isn't the nicest. Maybe only a few steps right.............so not to get the darker areas on the wall but this would put the lighthouse a bit more in the ROT position. Love the colors you brought out in the rocks......so if moving right introduces to many distractions........l would keep the comp as is then.

[Julie Kenward]

Nice lighthouse, Grady! I'm on an uncalibrated monitor right now so take this with a grain of salt...but I wonder if the lighthouse wouldn't have a little more impact if the BG color was just a touch more saturated to help separate the white of the lighthouse from the sky color? Nothing dramatic, mind you...just a nudge towards more color.

I really love the rocks leading up to the LH. They are such a nice blast of color against all that foggy lighting.

[Robert Amoruso]

Nice work Grady. I agree with Roman that is moving was an option to get the LH out of the center and have the path leading to it as a strong diagonal leading line, the image would be strengthen compositionally.

Separation between the LH and BG looks good on my monitor. I really like the subtle detail of the BG.

[Grady Weed]

Thank you all for your views. Next time I am up that way, I will see if another angle would give a different perspective. Thanks again.