Riding the surf - Rework

[Stephen]

Of the selection I originally made and uploaded to the Fylde Coast visit gallery this was one that I particularly liked It was a crop of the original portrait format image. To be honest, though I like it, it wasn't as good as the one Bearface posted.

I was drawn back to it today and decided to rework it and see if it could be improved. Starting from the original Raw file, it was recropped, upsized and processed in Adobe Camera Raw. After another slight crop,(approx 30% of original file now) selective adjustment of levels and contrast, it was resized for the web and given some smart sharpen. This is the result, any comments are welcome, whats your opinion about the image and the position of the lad on the bike, does it work. Oh and no extra spray was added

[Pops]

Re: Riding the surf - Rework

I like what you have done.
The tighter crop has bought the boy closer to the camera and his expression is now clear. (struggling for breathe by the look of it) All the railings and the chain now look much sharper and losing the pier was an excellent move.

[Stephen]

Re: Riding the surf - Rework

I like what you have done.
The tighter crop has bought the boy closer to the camera and his expression is now clear. (struggling for breathe by the look of it) All the railings and the chain now look much sharper and losing the pier was an excellent move.

Thanks for that Pops, yes I thought the same about the boys expression, I also feel you are right about losing the pier.

[Archangel]

Re: Riding the surf - Rework

Stephen,

I like the initial version better.
There is more visible background (the wooden posts I guess) and more foreground (visible water wave) thus making this boy look like he is coming out from the sea with his bike.

In the second cropped and rework version, these are missing. Part of the red object on the left is cut and the rain in front of the boy's body looks too much for me.

As of the boy's expression is clear for me in both versions, but the main theme is the entire scene and not only the boy's face expression.
So I think the first less cropped version is better (or at least better according to my taste.



Regards

George

[ddigit]

Re: Riding the surf - Rework

Hi Stephen,

The first photo was a view of the storm. The second is of the boy. The tighter crop really emphasis the boy and makes this picture work. The first is a bit messy with the viewer switching from the storm to the boy.

Trevor

[Stephen]

Re: Riding the surf - Rework

Stephen,

I like the initial version better.
There is more visible background (the wooden posts I guess) and more foreground (visible water wave) thus making this boy look like he is coming out from the sea with his bike.

In the second cropped and rework version, these are missing. Part of the red object on the left is cut and the rain in front of the boy's body looks too much for me.

As of the boy's expression is clear for me in both versions, but the main theme is the entire scene and not only the boy's face expression.
So I think the first less cropped version is better (or at least better according to my taste.



Regards

George

Thanks for your comments George, all valuable feedback. The wooden posts you refer to are some of the legs of the Pier, I felt cropping them out was getting rid of a visual distraction to the boy and his plight in the spray from a wave. The object contains a lifebelt and I felt in the original it drew the eye to much away from the boy, cropping and darkening it a bit seemed to help with this whilst still retaining some of the feel of the seafront. You are right about the picture not being about the boys expression, it was as Pops said clearer in the second though. For me though the main theme as you say, is the boy on the bike being caught in the spray of the wave, but also his utter carefree approach to the incident, as though he relishes the adrenalin rush it most certainly gave him. He is not rushing to avoid the spray, rather he is stationary almost waiting for the experience to end.

I'm not suggesting you are wrong however, but these are my feelings on the picture and why I did what I did to the image

[Stephen]

Re: Riding the surf - Rework

Hi Stephen,

The first photo was a view of the storm. The second is of the boy. The tighter crop really emphasis the boy and makes this picture work. The first is a bit messy with the viewer switching from the storm to the boy.

Trevor

In a nutshell, I think you are right Trevor

[Autumn]

Re: Riding the surf - Rework

That is a very hard decision for me to make Stephen.

I have flicked from one to the other and my feeling is that I like the original picture. I could handle the bit being cropped of the bottom, but I think the pier frames the boy and adds to the overall scene.

Would it not be possible to do all you have done on the reworked image, to the original one, but just take the same amount of the bottom that you did on the reworked one?

Fantastic images anyway - both yours and Bearface's.

[Archangel]

Re: Riding the surf - Rework

Thanks for your comments George, all valuable feedback. The wooden posts you refer to are some of the legs of the Pier, I felt cropping them out was getting rid of a visual distraction to the boy and his plight in the spray from a wave. The object contains a lifebelt and I felt in the original it drew the eye to much away from the boy, cropping and darkening it a bit seemed to help with this whilst still retaining some of the feel of the seafront. You are right about the picture not being about the boys expression, it was as Pops said clearer in the second though. For me though the main theme as you say, is the boy on the bike being caught in the spray of the wave, but also his utter carefree approach to the incident, as though he relishes the adrenalin rush it most certainly gave him. He is not rushing to avoid the spray, rather he is stationary almost waiting for the experience to end.

I'm not suggesting you are wrong however, but these are my feelings on the picture and why I did what I did to the image

Stephen it is nice and also interesting to see different opinions of views of people interpreting the same photo.
Just to add what I forgot before...
To me this photo is about: The aggressive face of nature with the contrast of the presence of a human (even if it is a young boy) trying to go against the nature's will.
That is the reason I prefer the first photo, that everything is visible (the wooden legs of the pier get beaten by waves, the lifebelt station shows emergency situation occurrences in the specific pier). To me nothing distracts the eye, It just everything adds to the photo to show nature wildness.

I just wrote this to specifically justify why I prefer the original (1st) version.
Your picture though is excellent either way, like the one with the footprints on the muddy hill the same day


Regards

George

[Autumn]

Re: Riding the surf - Rework

That is the reason I prefer the first photo, that everything is visible (the wooden legs of the pier get beaten by waves, the lifebelt station shows emergency situation occurrences in the specific pier). To me nothing distracts the eye, It just everything adds to the photo to show nature wildness.

Regards

George[/QUOTE]

I couldn't have put it better myself George, I am not keen on the cropped lifebelt station in the reworked version. I don't find that it distracts me at all, I just like to look around the whole picture, it's fantastic. However, as I said I like the way the rain shows up more on the second picture.

[Stephen]

Re: Riding the surf - Rework

Stephen it is nice and also interesting to see different opinions of views of people interpreting the same photo.
Just to add what I forgot before...
To me this photo is about: The aggressive face of nature with the contrast of the presence of a human (even if it is a young boy) trying to go against the nature's will.
That is the reason I prefer the first photo, that everything is visible (the wooden legs of the pier get beaten by waves, the lifebelt station shows emergency situation occurrences in the specific pier). To me nothing distracts the eye, It just everything adds to the photo to show nature wildness.

I just wrote this to specifically justify why I prefer the original (1st) version.
Your picture though is excellent either way, like the one with the footprints on the muddy hill the same day


Regards

George

Thanks again George, and as its you, I'm going to let you see the original shot straight out of the camera. This is not something I normally allow people to see so you are priveleged However I think you will probably prefer it to my crop, mainly because it shows much more, everything is visible For me though it loses the feel I created in my rework

[Archangel]

Re: Riding the surf - Rework

I couldn't have put it better myself George, I am not keen on the cropped lifebelt station in the reworked version. I don't find that it distracts me at all, I just like to look around the whole picture, it's fantastic. However, as I said I like the way the rain shows up more on the second picture.

Exactly Audrey.
I think that this photo is a lot more about than a storm or a boy in a storm.
It is about nature aggressiveness and wildness and it would be a mistake to narrow it down only to a storm, or a boy in a storm, because the photo offers then entire feeling perfectly as a whole in its initial version.


Regards

George

[Stephen]

Re: Riding the surf - Rework

Exactly Audrey.
I think that this photo is a lot more about than a storm or a boy in a storm.
It is about nature aggressiveness and wildness and it would be a mistake to narrow it down only to a storm, or a boy in a storm, because the photo offers then entire feeling perfectly as a whole in its initial version.


Regards

George

George, I have to say I'm really pleased that the photo instills such feeling in you. It certainly makes posting it worthwhile

[Archangel]

Re: Riding the surf - Rework

George, I have to say I'm really pleased that the photo instills such feeling in you. It certainly makes posting it worthwhile

Of course it does Stephen and it is a pleasure for me to view and comment on your photos. I like your style that shows very good imagination/creativity.
Keep up the good work

Regards

George