Beach Scene

[David Eckels]

I was intrigued with this driftwood stump on a Vancouver Island beach. In trying to simplify the composition, I am concerned about balance in this image. I suppose one approach would be to focus entirely on the stump. Another would be to just forget it and go back to the beach someday
Any comments would be of value.

[francois]

First, I like it a lot. The, I'm not bothered by the general  balance at all. To me, the stump looks at the small island with the trees. You're just peeking over the stump's shouler

[langier]

Nothing wrong at all with this well-crafted b&w photo, Dave. It's a little tight to me as I like a little more room on my edges, but that's little more than a nit and I seem to second-guess my edges in post at times.

[Bob_B]

+1 for the praise your photo rightfully deserves. I also feel it's a bit tight, but that's not a deal breaker by any means.

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

I like it just the way it is.

[Cem]

To me, it is a nice image. However, if you'd divide the photo vertically into two parts, you'd see that the left hand side does not add much value. Just my 2 cents.

[David Eckels]

To me, it is a nice image. However, if you'd divide the photo vertically into two parts, you'd see that the left hand side does not add much value. Just my 2 cents.

Thanks for the comment, Cem, so are you addressing the balance issue or something else?

[MattBurt]

I love the stump but it seems a bit unbalanced to me.
I'd be inclined to back up a little and move a tad to the right to bring more of the stump into the frame and bring the distant trees closer to the stump.
Of course I say this not know if that is really possible but if it is it could help.   

[Cem]

Thanks for the comment, Cem, so are you addressing the balance issue or something else?

Hi David,

I was indeed referring to the balance. That the LHS is not balancing the RHS

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

No cigar.

Since this is a critique section, I'll be brutal:

1. Horizon not even.
2. The first thing I see, and then cannot unsee it, is the bright spot in the middle, a house. Not only optically and compositionally distracts, but doesn't fit the main narrative: nature.
3. Split personality (photographically speaking). What do you want to show? Stump? Distant trees? Relationship between the two? If the latter, then move to the right from the stump and get the trees along a diagonal, connecting the two (and avoiding the house as a bonus).
4. Too tight, as others have said.
5. I'd remove the contrails in post processing.
6. I'd add more contrast and drama, by darkening the environment around the stump.
7. Working the scene would have been beneficial: several angles, verticals too, isolating the stump, for instance, concentrating on its "veins," etc.

And, of course, criticizing is easy 

[David Eckels]

Hey Slobodan, thanks for the brutality! I will take your comments point by point.
1. Beg to differ on the horizon, but obviously perhaps it feels a very little off, I think because of the stump. The diagonal position of the islands doesn't help.
2. I agree. I dithered about this. I think it is distracting, too, as my eye kept "going there."
3. Goes to Cem's comments. I have a couple other versions along the lines you suggest and I may fiddle with them.
4. I like my images "high and tight" just like my haircuts 
5. But then it wouldn't be a photograph
6. I like that idea. Vignette? Or just darkening the environs and highlighting the stump?
7. Agree. See #3
I appreciate all the comments, positive and negative. Sometimes you can't make a silk purse if the sow is pretty ugly!
My take home: Processing good, composition has issues, food for thought.
And regards to your last comment, I disagree. Useful criticism is an art form; I appreciate it. Next time you are on VI, let's go shoot this stump!

[David Eckels]

Just FWIW, this is another frame that I tried to redo with much the same rendering of the first.