Bug Lighthouse

[Grady Weed]

When I first started to really get into photographing lighthouses, this was one that I found was hard to make attractive in winter. It usually has joggers, dog walkers, ship traffic and ugly buildings on the mainland behind it, to make it hard to find a spot to image it. I settled for this shot of winter and then went from there.

I like the lonely desolate feeling and the seen but unseen hand of man, the benches. I liked the point shape and the fog. Please help me grow and give me honest feedback.

Canon EOS 5D, Shooting Date/Time 12/30/2006 13:40:15, Shutter Speed 1/250Sec. Av(Aperture Value) F4.5, Evaluative metering, Exposure Compensation -1/3, ISO 100, Lens: F28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM, Focal Length: 50.0 mm. Hand held from truck window due to extreme cold.

ADDED: This is Buglight in South Portland Maine.

[Michael Pancier]

I love the comp but would boost the contrast a bit. Isn't this in Maine near Portland?

[Stephen Stephen]

Grady I don't particularly like the benches themselves but I like how they draw the viewer's eye towards the lighthouse.

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Grady,
I've been to this little guy. The BG is absolutely garbage. I think the mood captured here is excellent. All I did was crop to a pano......and add noise reduction. I tried contrast boosts..........but IMO........took away too much of the mood.
Very well done,
Roman
PS.....I also got rid of rock on right edge of frame......and now that I look at your original........I might even leave the noise in! Never though I would say that!

[David Kennedy]

Grady,
I probably would suggest that framing downwards to allow a little more foreground before the nearest bench might have been beneficial. Also, as I look from bench to bench, I wish for some separation between the one nearest the lighthouse and the rocks / concrete behind it. Some of the benches on the left, in the background, also seem to be "bunching up," but they're of far less consequence.

Cheers,
David

[Robert Amoruso]

Grady,

Like the mood and you demonstrated well how to make lemonade from lemons. I like ROman's modest reworking and David's excellent tweaking suggestions. When I photograph images like this, I will carefully follow the elements in the image to see how they frame with other elements, looking for overlaps and merges. With the snow here, merges of the benches become particularly obvious. It is the little details like David point out that elevate our images to the next level.

Don't discourage. I made an image at Merritt Island late last year - close-up of a partially dried-up water hole. It had great light on it and these arcing pattens in the dirt and I cut the rightmost arc right at the edge of the frame. To this day, I look at it and think - boy I was not thinking.

Overall, you did real well here. I like the wall/fence leading out to the lighthouse. The seawall rocks leading to it and the benches that again lead the eye to the lighthouse. You did real well here seeing the possibilities and making them work.

[Grady Weed]

Thanks Robert for the encouragement to keep trying. The only thing I could have done David to get the benches not to touch and have separation is back up my truck, but not much. As for the bottom, the huge rocks were right next to my truck door. I might have gotten out of the truck and squatted down, thats a idea. I will try your suggestions next winter. I appreciate your efforts everyone. Thanks for the quality critiques.