The Hook, New C&C rules apply.

evilhomer

In keeping with the recent thread started by Calina I would like to ask for C&C on a few pictures I took at Hook Head.

If you feel the photos are boring and of no interest, say so.
If you feel they illicit some response from you, say so.
If you feel there is some way to improve the photo, by a technique you have used or have read about, say so (and if you can throw me a link to the technique or explain it a little. please)

So here we go.

A photo taken at sunset. Hook Head, Wexford.
I was going for a captivating sunset with the lighthouse silhouetted in the foreground, I have done some post processing on the image.
I guess all I want to know is it a good shot, do you feel anything when you look at it?


This is a photo I quite like myself, I have cropped some of the foreground out.
But I can't help think it is missing something. Is it the lack of a subject other then the sun and the sea? I just don't know.


Simple questions for this one, does the silhouette on the left add to or detract from the photo? oh and do you like it?


I hope this is in keeping with the spirit Calina suggested.

Will the responses (if any) be in keeping too?

You can click on all the photos to see them on flickr.

Glowing

I like the first one, but I can't help feeling that there is too much empty space on the top right - my eye is always drawn to it! Would it be possible to crop it tighter? - although it would be very tight on the left and bottom.

Nice sunset though

pickarooney

I want to like the first one, but it feels like less than the sum of its parts, like two image elements each of which detracts from the other. I love the small, intense sun and the feathered effect of the clouds, but the lighthouse wrecks the momentum of it for me and I reckon the foreground shadowws would look better with a plainer background - it's hard to keep your eyes focused on either the dark or light bits.

The lighthouse, to me, looks much better as the focal point (albeit all the way over on the right) in the bottom picture. It might sound like I'm contradicting myself but if you had waited a little bit you might have got a more pronounced path of light reflected from the horizon to the shore. I would probably crop before the lifebelt stand and maybe across the top to retain the wider aspect.

The second picture really doesn't inspire much in me. Looks like the kind of place you could have fun experimenting with.

Carrigman

I think the first one is excellent. The second one is just another sunset shot and it doesn't really attract my attention. The third one is very good but the sign at the left of the frame is distracting - I'd suggest you clone it out.

Regards,

John

Ideo

I really like the first one and would go as far as to clone the wires out of the bottom right hand corner. it would look very well framed imo!

second is nice enough, though sunsets are ALWAYS nice! looking very closely at the sun, is it the star of David I see?

And the last is ok, but I would try to darken the actual sun itself. this sounds a bit daft, but its overexposed!

Borderfox

I like the first and the last, the one in the middle could be any sunset but the first and third are very deliberate in the framing and the thought gone into the compostion and for this reason I like them, hope this helps

tnkrbell

Really like the first and third picture. The second picture really does nothing for me seems to be a bit bland.Love the effect the clouds have in the first one.
Just a bit of advice on the third one you dont have to take it but I'd try and crop it slightly so that you don't have sign post to the left side.IMO i feel it takes away from the light house and the "slopping" bit of land

TelePaul

I like 1 and 2 alot. Not a huge fan of the composition in number 3.

Star Lord

Echoing popular sentiment here, in that 1 and 3 are nice, but the second seems to be missing something...

I think all 3 could be greatly improved by following the rule of thirds...

In the first pic, if you crop off some of the top, and the sides, so the sun is around 1/3 of the way up the shot, the lighthouse is almost touching the top of the photo (but a little space above it) and the sides of the shot come in to the sides of the lighthouse and the side of the house, then the framing effect would be much stronger, and I feel you'd have a great shot then! I just scrolled the screen and used my hands as a quick mask, and I think the shot was then awesome.

Similarly with the third pic, if you took some off the top, brought the right hand side in to the side of the lighthouse (or just cropped out the bit of the house), and cropped the life ring stand on the left out, you'd be left with a similarly great shot

rymus

first one is the clear winner

Third one I think might be better without the distracting sign/lifebelt holder thing on the left. Or maybe shift the lighthouse more toward the centre, thereby taking the post out of the frame?

For some reason the sky in the first shot looks a bit overcooked photoshop wise, but the other two are spot on. Having said that though, the first is my clear favorite anyway.

Mellor

I like the blue section of sky in the second,

number 2 for me

*Dallas

I love the skies in all three... just the sign post in the third one is a bit out of place, maybe you could clone this out?

trishw78

I like 1 I like the way the clouds have that golden lining. 2 does nothing. 3 I like it except for the silhouette on the left.

Calina

Okay,.

horizon in 2 is ever so slightly off. I'm sorry to be pedantic about this and I know it will earn me a slagging but it is a big issue with pictures of the sea.

Of the other 2 at the moment, I prefer 1. I like the colours in it; I like the contrejour on it.

3 I can't quite decide what it is about it - I'm not going to say it's the sign because it isn't really, it's more like I can't decide what is the key subject in the photograph, is it the sun or is it the lighthouse. I like the lighting in it as well, but the photograph itself just feels to be less than the sum of its parts.

5uspect

Here's an idea for 2 (but probably a bad one). Use a very high aspect ratio panoramic crop and darken out the left side a good bit. (Use a nice gentle gradient perhaps). That way the long strip of the image tells the story on night creeping in after the sunset.

Maybe I'm just talking ****e tho...

EDIT: Oh and those are cracking shots!

JMcL

Of the three, #1 is the best by a fair margin. I'm finding the sun too central in both #1 and 3 though - #3 would've been far better balanced with the sun more to the left of the image. #2 doesn't really do anything for me I'm afraid, there's no point of interest anywhere.

broad_sword

Nice shots of Hook Head - The first shot is definitely a keeper! Well done. Framing and composition look superb and you've managed to hold the detail in the sun.

The second image, personally, does nothing for me. It lacks any foreground detail and while you've exposed correctly for the setting sun, it has led to the rest of the scene being underexposed... bracketing your shots would be the trick here (followed by some post processing in Photoshop).

For me, the idea behind the third shot is great but I think the framing lets the shot down. The lighthouse silhouette is too far to the right (rule of thirds etc etc.) and I think the silhouette of the sign on the left just distracts the eye away from the beautiful setting sun and lighthouse!

Nice work anyhow - Hook Head is a great place to shoot. I've taken a few myself last weekend which you can see on my flickr page

tomlau

Like the 1st one. Nice colours and subject

2nd. Boring, there are millions of photos in the world which look the exact same.

3rd. Don't like the colours.

positron

First one is class - the clouds look slightly funny, but its brilliant anyway.

Second - meh. Boring.

Three - its okay, but your first one is way better!

City-Exile

I don't mean to be rude, but this is the type of shot you should aspire to.

Cabaal

City-Exile wrote: »

I don't mean to be rude, but this is the type of shot you should aspire to.

while I do like this photo myself, I don't believe thats a fair comment as everyone has there own style

AnimalRights

Nice photos except the "Ed Kenny logo and copyright" make them seem too professional to be asking for C&C.

Quackles

The sky in the first one rocks my world. I really like it.

City-Exile

Cabaal wrote: »

while I do like this photo myself, I don't believe thats a fair comment as everyone has there own style

In my opinion, it shows the difference between taking a picture & creating an image that makes an impression.

indieJones

That's a fantastic photo City-Exile! Is there much PP done to it?

Have to agree that while everyone has their own style, there are still good photos and bad photos and many in between. While I think all 3 photos are aesthetically pleasing, only the 1st one comes close to creating an emotion or an impact.

I'm only a very amateur photographer but my acid test consists of 3 things.
- Could I have made the photo technically better (focus, aperature, exposure etc.)?
- How is this photo different/better to the thousands of similar photos in the world?
- Does this photo make me feel anything? Does make me feel a mood or remind me of a memory/feeling?

If you really want to be cut throat you can ask yourself
- Would I pay for this photo?

Just my 2 cents