The Old Pier

[Jackie Schuknecht]

Used two exposures and blended them together using stacks in PS. Then I put it through NIK classical soft focus because it was the look I wanted.
40D
Tripod
f11
ISO 100
17-55 @17
AV Mode Evaluative
-2/3 and -1/3 exposures
Cropped a sliver off the top.
Comments Appreciated
Getting some distortion in the horizon from the lens being at 17 I think.
This used to be a pier at one time, but the boards are long gone, these are the rocks from the cribs.

[Jackie Schuknecht]

This one I upped the vibrance in the RGB channels.

[Harold Davis]

hi jackie. i hope you dont mind me playing around a little. i went low key and added a little more warmth. cleaned up a few dust bunnies and took out the trail in the sky. i also fixed the horizon by using the rectangle marquee tool then transform and warp. i put the grid up and pulled down til it was level.

it's a tranquil scene. i like the slow shutter speed and the gradient on the left.

[Jackie Schuknecht]

Not sure how I missed the dust bunnies Harold, I think I was focusing on the picture as a whole. Great work on the horizon, wasn't sure how to do it. Not sure about the darker version you have posted , will have to look at it some more. Thanks for taking the time.

[Dave Leroy]

Very nice scene Jackie and you captured it well. I am a more contrasty type and so prefer Harold's post. I actually don't mind the curvature thing. For me it adds to the vastness of the scene. Very soft evening colours. Well done. Dave

[Dennis "Curly" Buchner]

Good comp Jackie, find the left rock in fg a little distracting. Good choice on the soft focus

[Robert Amoruso]

Jackie,

I have been thinking about this one since yesterday. I like the overall feel as well as Harold's treatment. The compositional elements were just not falling into place for me though. I think moving right and getting the rocks further out in the water more to the left, keeping the sun on the right and balancing with the large FG rock. I am thinking in diagonals here with a line of site from the FG rock looking left diagonally to the further out rocks and diagonally right to the sun.

Diagonals are strong site lines in images and even if you do not have something that forms a diagonal line, include objects at diagonals to each other creates the same dynamic in an image.

For this image, I think a ROT crop will strengthen it and repost same here. It crops into almost a square which some don't like. As a former twin-lens reflex user, I enjoy the square crop when the image suits it as I feel it does here.

I like the soft focus treatment.

[Jackie Schuknecht]

Thanks Robert very much for working on the image, I do have another angle with everything placed more on the rule of thirds (and yes I did move right), but for some reason I didn't like it as much. I like your crop, I think it does make for a stronger image. I will try the other photo, and the "other" angle I shot and post on the w/e. I appreciate your time to work on it. I will take into account the other critiques as well.

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hi Jackie,
Very good advice given above and if I had to chose.....i would pick Robert's final re-post for the color. I do agree with a bit more room in front of the rocks and will offer 1 more suggestion for next time in the field.........my guess is that you were standing....next time crouch down or get to knee level......making sure the FG rock wouldn't merge with the others......this would have minimized the space between the FG pier and the MG rocks. You may also want to try pulling out a longer lens and just concentrate on those 3 MG rocks and sky color! I call this working a scene and sometimes it is easier to visualize and compose with the camera off the tripod and looking through the viewfinder.......you have to work quickly though....as you are probably well aware....the color doesn't last!
As presented in the OP ......I might just eliminate the light/white twig on the left FG and booost the colors like Robert has done and you have a pretty pleasing image.

[Jackie Schuknecht]

Good suggestions, thanks Roman.