Old ship

[Mowgli]

I spotted this ship anchored in one of our northern bays last night, I haven`t put anything up for critique for some time, so I thought I would ask, what do you think? crop it? photoshop it? or just delete it?

Mowgli

[Stephen]

Re: Old ship

I spotted this ship anchored in one of our northern bays last night, I haven`t put anything up for critique for some time, so I thought I would ask, what do you think? crop it? photoshop it? or just delete it?

Mowgli

Hi Mowgli, this sort of scene always has loads of potential, sea, rocks, sunset, great sky and a sailing ship. All the ingredients, but they need a little help from the photographer to put them all together to make the best of them. Now I wasn't there so can't say if I'd have composed things differently. All I can say is that in an ideal world I would have the ship moving into the frame rather than out, as you have it. Finally I thing the picture needs much more contrast which is easy to do with Levels or Curves. Oh and I'd crop some of the bottom of the frame off

[Mowgli]

Re: Old ship

Hi Stephen
Thanks for the comments, the ship was on the extreme right hand side of the bay and the only area it was about to move into had a cliffs edge in the way, so it was impossible to have the ship sailing into frame. I took quite a few pictures some with rocks in front but it was always tight to the right hand side of the frame. The reason I picked this one was because of the birds flying through the scene I thought it made it less plain.

[vlarcombe]

Re: Old ship

Hi Mowgli,

I agree with Stephen about cropping some off the bottom, I'd probably remove all the foreground rocks. I can understand why you included the birds but I don't think they add anything to the scene, I find them a bit of a distraction.

Regards,

Vernon

[StuartR]

Re: Old ship

I'd agree with Stephen's critique but I quite like the birds! (sorry Vernon!).

I reckon with a bit of work it's a keeper - pretty much a silhouette I'd guess, once the contrast is sorted.

[Patrick]

Re: Old ship

I spotted this ship anchored in one of our northern bays last night, I haven`t put anything up for critique for some time, so I thought I would ask, what do you think? crop it? photoshop it? or just delete it?

Mowgli

Sorry if you don't like this, but had a play, could be more convincing given the time and a larger file to manipulate.

I have turned the ship round and cropped a little off the top and more off the bottom as per Stephens comments of which I agree, increased saturation a touch and increased contrast in the sea. I to like the birds in the shot and if it had been mine probably would have put some in if there hadn't been any.
For the purist I justify what I've done and do because its a pictorial image, if it were a journalistic picture these changes would be out of order.

Patrick

[Mowgli]

Re: Old ship

Thanks to all of you who have added your comments, I imagined what it would have been like at our camera club, up for "critique" with bits of card being placed around the picture to "crop out" certain sections as most of you had said. The interesting bit is Patrick taking things a bit further and actually turning the ship around, (couldn`t do that at the club with a print) and completely transforming the picture! I know for a fact it was anchored, as there were little dingy`s going to and fro from the shore, to me Patricks picture makes it look as though it is moving, probably because as Stephen said it has room to move "into" the frame, the letterbox format looks good too. Thanks for the feedback

Mowgli