Four from San Francisco

[erictoddjohnson]

Here are four images from a recent weekend in San Francisco.  Comments and criticism are welcome!

Thanks,

Eric J.

[wolfnowl]

I think the first two are pretty good, but I don't like tilted horizons when they can be fixed so easily.  The third one doesn't really do anything for me - sorry!  With the fourth one, the shorelines on the left catches my eye, which then follows the bridge across the frame, but on the right side there's no balance, nothing to hold my attention. It just fades into nothingness.

My $0.02

Mike.

[jasonrandolph]

I think the first two are pretty good, but I don't like tilted horizons when they can be fixed so easily.  The third one doesn't really do anything for me - sorry!  With the fourth one, the shorelines on the left catches my eye, which then follows the bridge across the frame, but on the right side there's no balance, nothing to hold my attention. It just fades into nothingness.

My $0.02

Mike.

I agree with Mike.  The fourth one is my favorite, but I too find the composition unbalanced on the right side.  Other than that, I like the tones.  And I realize that there may be nothing to ass on the right.  Nice tones in the images.

[button]

With the fourth one, the shorelines on the left catches my eye, which then follows the bridge across the frame, but on the right side there's no balance, nothing to hold my attention. It just fades into nothingness.

My $0.02

Mike.

Eric, for the fourth, try a vertical crop on the right at the nadir of the bridge suspension, excluding the small mountain peak there.

John

[erictoddjohnson]

Thanks for all of your helpful comments.  You have confirmed what I thought was the problem with the fourth one - all of the interesting visual elements are in the left side of the picture, without anything of interest to balance it on the right.   John, I took your advice and cropped some of the right side off, and I think it does improve the balance.  I also tried to lighten the right side of the original crop, and I think that helps as well.   [Perhaps the solution would have been to wait for a bigger ship to come through the bridge!]

Eric

[DarkPenguin]

I like the crop.

[francois]

Thanks for all of your helpful comments.  You have confirmed what I thought was the problem with the fourth one - all of the interesting visual elements are in the left side of the picture, without anything of interest to balance it on the right.   John, I took your advice and cropped some of the right side off, and I think it does improve the balance.  I also tried to lighten the right side of the original crop, and I think that helps as well.   [Perhaps the solution would have been to wait for a bigger ship to come through the bridge!]

Eric

I also like the crop version and yes, a bigger ship would certainly help to fill the right side.

[RSL]

I think the first two are pretty good, but I don't like tilted horizons when they can be fixed so easily.  The third one doesn't really do anything for me - sorry!  With the fourth one, the shorelines on the left catches my eye, which then follows the bridge across the frame, but on the right side there's no balance, nothing to hold my attention. It just fades into nothingness.

My $0.02

Mike.

I find I often agree with Mike, and I'll re-state with what he said, very politely, about the first three: "Nice tourist shots."

But I don't agree about the fourth. There's something important about the way that picture fades into darkness as you cross the bridge with your eyes. It certainly doesn't fit with the "rules" of composition, but it gives the picture a transcendent meaning -- one you can't put into words. (Though people writing about art appreciation always try that kind of description and always fail.) The bright boat beneath the far pier adds to the effect. Lightening the sky simply turns the picture into another tourist shot.