Commercial Fishing

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<center>M3, 90 Summicron-M</center>

Commercial Fishing, Shinnecock, New York<div></div>

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Gloucester MA - <em>Leica M8, Elmarit 28/2.8</em>

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Paul, this is from Greenport, just up the road from your photograph.

 

It's a photo that I think has potential but that I am really unhappy with. It should work, but it doesn't. It isn't a problem of composition, it's a problem of tonal range. If anyone has a fix, I'd love to see it.

 

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Interesting subject - there's no doubt about it. But I'm disappointed in the quality of all of these photos (as I am in many threads unfortunately). Many of us live and breathe photography and yet many of us are unable to take anything beyond a poor snapshot.

 

Rory: yes, your problem is in fact composition. It's cluttered, messy and lacks a 'centre'. It looks like a print from a cheap lab where they screwed up the chemicals and colour balance. Or maybe the light that day - at that time - just sucked. In any case that is not your fault except for the fact that you should have rejected this image during editing (I use that word in the purest sense, i.e. selecting the best images from a group about the same subject).

 

Come on people, we can all do better than this. Maybe we're not being adventurous enough. Maybe we don't work at refining each shot we take. Whatever the reason, most images seen on this forum are poor - almost mediocre.

 

Perhaps the above comments are not suitable for this forum - like an uninvited guest, no matter if what he says is valuable or not. Still, at least I know there's a chance some of you will see them.

 

I'd like to think that great photos inspire further greatness and make the forum a great place to visit.

Karim, good points but unless you coach with specifics what you say is most likely only going to be mildly resented. I suppose everyone could improve their output if they only tripped the shutter after deciding what the photo is about. But certainly this adventurousness you speak of or even a strong desire to be as good as _________ can be grounds for effective self-criticism.

I said that I wasn't happy with the photograph, which was tantamount to inviting criticism, and I got some. Perfectly cool, and what Karim says pretty much reinforces my own feelings.

 

Regarding Karim's general comment about the forum...

 

I keep 10-15 photographs a year. The rest go in the trash, except for some that I hold onto as a reference for the future. This shot is going to fall into the latter category.

 

I started posting here recently to see whether it might assist my editing process. I haven't decided yet whether it does or not. In addition, I like the idea of seeing a variety of approaches to whatever the subject of the thread is. I don't much care whether everything posted is up to gallery standards, or even up to the standard of any given person's best work. Indeed, I think that it would be unfortunate if people posted only their best work. I learn something from looking at photographs that don't cut it, and thinking about why.

 

However, if the rule around here is that people are only supposed to post great photographs, then in my case there will certainly be a lot fewer postings.

 

Cheers.

Karim, I second what Peter has to say, I would contend that we all can improve as well.

Where is your photography? I have not had the chance to see it. Please share.

 

Todd

Well I will try this again!

Todd -- a photo from your hard drive will appear in the thread (vs. as an attachment) if:<p>

 

1. It is no wider than 511 pixels;<p>

 

<b>and</b><p>

 

2. You include a caption. Anything at all will do, but you cannot leave it blank.

I don't have any problem with lack of photos from Karim. Let him be the critic here.

 

Do give your opinions on any photos I post, Karim. I don't have anything that will match the theme here though.

I guess "mildly resented" was an understatement.

I haven't been taking photos lately and because of that I have none to offer. Right now I'm in limbo photographically.

 

What makes a good photo cannot be scientifically or objectively determined. But we all know, to some degree, what is good enough and what is not good enough - at least where other people's pics are concerned.

 

All I have a right to suggest is that we do what we can to raise our standards. If we can't at least we will have tried.

Karim

I am glad you spoke out the standard of photography is sometimes very low it's almost like the camera is more important than the results. Your post was very well put, sycophantic praise never helps anybody honest criticism does. Also I was disapointed not to see any pictures of fishermen in this thread.

Steve<div></div>

I'll try that again with the right pic

Steve<div></div>

Steve, I see much potential in your second pic. If you had a longer lens you could have moved in tightly on all those masts just begging you for a more abstract POV. I cropped some areas on the image to give you an idea of what I mean.

 

Oh, I just saw your first one. Now that is a good pic - better than the second one! But I left my comment above as it's still valid.<div></div>