Ricochetrider Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 I've been revisiting some photos lately, and came across this. Did bit of cropping to arrive at this, my standard 3:2, and conversion to B&W. What does everyone think?. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samstevens Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 It's eye catching and exudes confidence. A shot where the technique seems important in supporting the content and that's well done. The proportion of scenery above the bridge and the white of the sky don't feel quite right to me, but that's not necessarily a bad thing ... 2 "You talkin' to me?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemorrell Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 I really like this! From the top of the bridge down, it's a gorgeous photo! 3-D solidity, symmetry, variation (perspective, boat) and wonderful depth and contrasts... everything you could wish for in a photo Everything above the top of the bridge contributes IHMO less to the photo than everything below. So I see everything above the top of the bridge as ''part of the frame". IMHO, it's main purpose is: - not to distract from the bridge an reflections - enhance the bridge and reflections Above the top of the bridge, the photo (with the exception of the clumps of trees) has little impact on me. It has less solidity and less contrast with the bridge.That's natural of course, given the distance and haze. I respect the fact that this is how the scene was and that you might not want to change that in PP. It's just a suggestion, but you might want to consider darkening the trees and buildings on a line with the clumps of trees. This would make them a bit more 'solid', bring them 'forward' and provide a bit more contrast with the bridge.Darkening the hills in the background (less strongly) is also an option. My main point, I think is that is the bridge and the reflections together form such a powerful subject that everything else is bound to be seen as 'part of the frame'. So choose the best frame. Congrats! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmac Posted January 17, 2020 Share Posted January 17, 2020 Great shot, love the reflection of the bridge in the still water, especially the ripple effect in the lower half of the reflection. Agree with the others about the trees in background. Otherwise, a well seen, well processed image. A trick question for fun: Which side of the bridge is the small boat sitting, the far side or the near side ? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcstep Posted January 17, 2020 Share Posted January 17, 2020 I spent too much time looking at the trees, ridge and open sky in the BG, but only because I made the mistake of looking at the reviews of others. I looked at this before others commented and wasn't sure what to say beyond, "I like it. The strong reflections and placement of the fisherman are ideal." So, now that I've spent so much time looking a the BG, the trees and ridge don't bother me at all, but the blank, white sky doesn't add. If it were mine, I'd like a 2-1 crop, along the ridge and taking a little off the bottom. I think that would add to the power of the image. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
invisibleflash Posted January 17, 2020 Share Posted January 17, 2020 It is nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
invisibleflash Posted January 17, 2020 Share Posted January 17, 2020 It is nice! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricochetrider Posted January 17, 2020 Author Share Posted January 17, 2020 I spent too much time looking at the trees, ridge and open sky in the BG, but only because I made the mistake of looking at the reviews of others. I looked at this before others commented and wasn't sure what to say beyond, "I like it. The strong reflections and placement of the fisherman are ideal." So, now that I've spent so much time looking a the BG, the trees and ridge don't bother me at all, but the blank, white sky doesn't add. If it were mine, I'd like a 2-1 crop, along the ridge and taking a little off the bottom. I think that would add to the power of the image. I wasn't sure how to crop all the top off without having the photo be way off balance, but your suggestions seems viable. Honestly, my post processing skills are lacking, so I don't have the tools or know-how to boost that background segments like Mike had mentioned doing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricochetrider Posted January 17, 2020 Author Share Posted January 17, 2020 hmmm, I lopped the. image as DCstep suggested- for some reason, P.net (or iPhoto) isn't translating my crop! Not sure what's up with that but will try again later Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samstevens Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 PN frowns upon lopping. Only very refined and nuanced work accepted here. Lopping filters engaged! :) 1 "You talkin' to me?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmac Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 My version of cropping top and bottom. Not sure if it helps it or not 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricochetrider Posted January 18, 2020 Author Share Posted January 18, 2020 mmm yeah, thanks. but I kinda like the organic waviness of the ridgeline. I get it about the empty white sky segment, tho for sure... its definitely dead or negative space. on another note, I always marvel at the way, in some photos, the sky is blown out but its reflection (in water) retains detail. Hey BTW, thanks to everyone for your comments and time. Really appreciate it, as always. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dieter Schaefer Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 Two options. (1) darken the top of the image and crop most but not all the sky preserving the wavy ridgeline. (2) lose almost everything above the bridge with a 16:9 crop. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samstevens Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 mmm yeah, thanks. but I kinda like the organic waviness of the ridgeline. Me, too. I get it about the empty white sky segment, tho for sure... its definitely dead or negative space. I’m not sure it wouldn’t be improved if there were a little more of it. Being such a sliver may be what’s the more distracting aspect of it. on another note, I always marvel at the way, in some photos, the sky is blown out but its reflection (in water) retains detail. Experiment next time w/ exposing for the sky. It will bring your lower values down a bit, but you might like that. Those lower values would be easier to deal w/ in post, which I know you don’t do much of. Hey BTW, thanks to everyone for your comments and time. Really appreciate it, as always. Thanks for putting your photos up for discussion. One thing I want to emphasize is my own comments are often not geared to post work or towards being necessarily able to do something about the current photo. Noticing something that’s not working doesn’t mean I’m suggesting that something can be changed. It’s rather just a mechanism to discuss what I see and that might be of more use going forward rather than in changing the current photo, which may not be feasible. 1 "You talkin' to me?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDMvW Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 If I "liked" pictures here, this is one I would like. thanks for posting 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn McCreery Posted January 29, 2020 Share Posted January 29, 2020 (edited) Great photo! Having the boat and fisherman really makes it. I think that I would do some perspective manipulation to make the bridge and it's reflection look more two dimensional while maintaining the three dimensional cues for all the other elements. Edited January 29, 2020 by Glenn McCreery 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conrad_hoffman Posted January 29, 2020 Share Posted January 29, 2020 I like it. I think there are a variety of crops that work. One might be square with three openings. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markwyatt Posted February 6, 2020 Share Posted February 6, 2020 It is a great shot. It is very dynamic, and the geometric aspects really make it. The first thing I noticed was the bold geometry, then my I was drawn to the lone fisherman, which gives it some human impact. Finally, I like the way the reflection of the arches actually amplify them, plus the way the arches + reflections create closed geometries. A lot of the crops proposed could work. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricochetrider Posted February 7, 2020 Author Share Posted February 7, 2020 Thank you for your comments and compliments, everyone- and I appreciate the suggestion as well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmac Posted February 7, 2020 Share Posted February 7, 2020 Glen's crop is very effective. The arches of the bridge are all the same so maybe it's not necessary to have every one of them in the image, they seemed too "repetitive" in that respect. That crop IMO has drawn more attention to the bridge itself and less so to the clutter in the background. Answer to trick question for fun: Which side of the bridge is the small boat sitting, the far side or the near side ? Answer: The near side 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
httpwww.photo.netbarry Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 I don't think I'd crop it. I think the far background even as small as it is, adds dimension, I can see going radically the other way to flatten as well. I would rather play around with the light on the water and play around with tonality. I think its a cool picture. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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