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Author Topic: St. Croix Beach Shot  (Read 2663 times)

Jeremy Payne

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St. Croix Beach Shot
« on: June 14, 2009, 10:28:06 am »

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button

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St. Croix Beach Shot
« Reply #1 on: June 14, 2009, 02:21:25 pm »

I've been wondering for a long time how and why to break the rule of thirds.  With this shot, you've provided me an answer.  Here, you've set the horizon near the center of the shot, and it works because you've created a mirror theme, but with left to right reversal:  to my eye, the rocks mirror the clouds in the opposite corners.  I doubt that this effect would work as well with a standard rule of thirds placement.

To have strengthened this shot at capture, I think that had you used a polarizing filter, you could have brought out some of the detail of the underwater structures in the lower right of the shot to accentuate the above-water rock.  However, maybe you didn't want that.  As the shot stands, I think that some contrast adjustment/dodge/burn would help the lower right of the shot, perhaps also with a saturation boost there.  Also, emphasizing the horizon with a burn of the bording land might better organize the compositional elements.  Finally, right now, there's a lot of similar looking blue, which initially comes across as a bit flat.  

Overall, a great effort.

John
« Last Edit: June 14, 2009, 02:22:57 pm by button »
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jasonrandolph

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St. Croix Beach Shot
« Reply #2 on: June 14, 2009, 02:37:19 pm »

Quote from: button
I've been wondering for a long time how and why to break the rule of thirds.  With this shot, you've provided me an answer.  Here, you've set the horizon near the center of the shot, and it works because you've created a mirror theme, but with left to right reversal:  to my eye, the rocks mirror the clouds in the opposite corners.  I doubt that this effect would work as well with a standard rule of thirds placement.

To have strengthened this shot at capture, I think that had you used a polarizing filter, you could have brought out some of the detail of the underwater structures in the lower right of the shot to accentuate the above-water rock.  However, maybe you didn't want that.  As the shot stands, I think that some contrast adjustment/dodge/burn would help the lower right of the shot, perhaps also with a saturation boost there.  Also, emphasizing the horizon with a burn of the bording land might better organize the compositional elements.  Finally, right now, there's a lot of similar looking blue, which initially comes across as a bit flat.  

Overall, a great effort.

John

I agree with John.  I would only add that maybe trying to increase contrast of the entire image would make it have more emotional impact.  Great detail though, and the exposure was excellent.  Nice work.

RSL

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St. Croix Beach Shot
« Reply #3 on: June 14, 2009, 10:14:33 pm »


[attachment=14559:36245703...a51045_b.jpg]
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shutterpup

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St. Croix Beach Shot
« Reply #4 on: June 14, 2009, 10:34:39 pm »

Quote from: RSL
[attachment=14559:36245703...a51045_b.jpg]

Love the black and white Russ.
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Jeremy Payne

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St. Croix Beach Shot
« Reply #5 on: June 14, 2009, 11:25:11 pm »

I originally intended and processes this as a B&W image, but decided to go color at the 11th hour.

Taking many of your notes into account, here's where I'm at with this image.  I had gone "soft" in the first pass, but "hardened" things up here.

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Ed Blagden

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St. Croix Beach Shot
« Reply #6 on: June 15, 2009, 05:11:23 am »

Jeremy

Version 2 (the "hardened" one) is much better, IMO.

Regarding your decision not to go B&W, I think that was a good call.  The image is nearly monochrome anyway, but the very subtle aqua blues at bottom right and the orange at top left lift the whole image for me.

Ed
« Last Edit: June 15, 2009, 05:12:21 am by Ed B »
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Jeremy Payne

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St. Croix Beach Shot
« Reply #7 on: June 15, 2009, 07:57:16 am »

Thanks, all!

I do wish I had brought the polarizing filter to the beach, but I left it in the bag consciously as I used the ND filter as well and I expected the water to be less transparent after a 10 second exposure.  I do think it would have made the shot better ... I was also worried about vignetting with two filters on a 17mm lens, but in the end I cropped a bit and it wouldn't have mattered.

Besides an overall sharpening and local contrast boost, I also dodged the big rock on the right, burned the the water on the right and added a touch of warning to the sky.  

Gonna print at 10 x 15.
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jasonrandolph

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St. Croix Beach Shot
« Reply #8 on: June 15, 2009, 11:59:47 am »

Version 2 is a marked improvement.  I tend to prefer B & W, which is probebly why I like Russell's version, but the color version is fine too.  It should make a great print!

RSL

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St. Croix Beach Shot
« Reply #9 on: June 15, 2009, 12:54:48 pm »

Jeremy, The blue throws me off, but that's where tastes differ. It's a very good shot whichever way you slice it.
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