Sunrise

Any and all critique welcome:

 

Sunrise At Fernandina Beach by David Stephens, on Flickr

Actually, I don't think it needs a thing. You might consider bringing out the reeds on the shore a bit, but they might be a distraction. Nicely done!

My only nitpick (being very pedantic) is the horizon would like to see it absolutely level at the moment it's high on the right side. The sunrise and the horizon are the main feature, to have this level would add more impact to a very nicely composed beautiful capture.

My only nitpick (being very pedantic) is the horizon would like to see it absolutely level at the moment it's high on the right side. The sunrise and the horizon are the main feature, to have this level would add more impact to a very nicely composed beautiful capture.

 

Thank you.

 

Not a nit in my book. You're right, the right side is 1/16" higher on my screen. That's what I get for processing on a laptop, instead of my usual 27" monitor.

@dcstep: like @William Kahn, I think the photo is perfect as it is. Depending on your intention/vision for the photo, you might want to consider cropping more (top/bottom/right). The right half of the photo is a nice scene but doesn't add much to the left half. The foreground is so dark that adds little to the foreground. Even the top of the photo doesn't touch the sunrise/set.

 

If your intention is to show the relative insignificance of the couple against the background, leave the photo as it is. You could choose (by cropping) to make the couple relatively larger in the photo.

 

Mike

The sense of space and scale is what makes the photo for me. I wonder if the print itself shows the reeds in the foreground a little better. That's one that requires finesse and it's hard to tell from a screen image whether the reeds will read (sorry for that - lol) well or not. They are a nice textural addition, however. The centering of the sunrise itself with the couple to the left is a nice compositional choice. The color reflection in the water is soft and subtle, nicely done. There's a cool-warm thing going on with the land and sea on the one hand, the sky and reflections on the other, that has a nice energy. The couple is not in complete silhouette so their softness and aliveness adds that touch of humanity rather than simply the iconic or symbolic feel of a silhouette. The almost rigidly straight horizon line accentuates the more sensuous curve of the shoreline.

I like that the Sun is not seen, but its hues are. Theres a sense of anticipation, yet sereneness in the scene. The two humans are significant in taking the scene away from the realm of abstract.

Thanks to everyone for all the thoughtful critique.