[fgates]

I thought since the previous post left some viewers cold, I'd post a picture that I took last summer . I was in Joensuu with my wife, she still does not understand when I get up at 5 a.m., but I think it was worth it. I would value comments on how it could have been improved.

[Rob Barron]

It's very blue!

Seriously, I can see why you take this fg, and don't worry, I can understood why you got up early.... but I hope you remembered to go back to bed again afterwards I will make some comments about the picture giving my thoughts on how you might improve it another time as this is what you have asked for.

The picture has a reasonably interesting sky and the water is nicely lit. However for me there is a lack of anything to really settle my eye on and look at. The boat is too small to really see much detail and is almost in a striaght line with the only other things that punctuate the image, the two marker posts in the water. The lighter part of the image is to the right and this is the area the eye would normally be drawn towards in a picture but when we get there there isn't really anything to see. The boat is to the left which is the darker area of the picture, de-emphasising it in the image as a whole. The tops of the two markers unfortunately stop at the worst point, exactly 'touching' the horizon line. If you had dropped down another few centimetres, those would have pierced the sky above the horizon and broken that line up slightly to create more dynamic interest.

Don't get me wrong, the overall texture of the picture is very pleasant, including the water. It just doesn't have enough, in my own humble opinion, to make me keep looking for very long.

Please forgive me if my comments discourage as that is not what I intend at all. I do hope though that my thoughts - only as valid as yours, not more - will prove of some use to you in simply seeing it from another perspective.

I am looking forward to seeing other ieces of work.
Cheers,
Rob

[jusu]

Beautiful, its simply beautiful I don't know how to improve it really, maybe you might want to try to crop a bit off from the top part of the sky

[fgates]

Originally Posted by Rob Barron

Please forgive me if my comments discourage as that is not what I intend at all. I do hope though that my thoughts - only as valid as yours, not more - will prove of some use to you in simply seeing it from another perspective.

I want critical comments, to help me see ow to improve my pictures. So your comments are most welcome. Thanks, Fred

[Dabhand16]

I broadly agree with Rob, but for me the horizon is too central too. The shot could be cropped from the top or the bottom as there is plenty to play with.

Cropping the top just above the white cloud on the LHS gives a lot of water with not much to settle on - the boat being too far away to be a focal point.

Cropping the bottom by about 50% works better for me, but there is still insufficient interest in the shot.

It is a pity that there was not a large boat tied up to one of the posts, that would have made a big difference.

[fgates]

Thank you all for your comments. I have some things to think about next time...

Fred

[JMitchell]

I agree with Rob, but I think that against his views, one could say that overall it's a really nice image just to 'relax' in. Nice flowing colours, good composition that lets your eye roam rather than pinning it to an obvious subject. A sort of 'easy viewing' image

[fgates]

Originally Posted by JMitchell

I agree with Rob, but I think that against his views, one could say that overall it's a really nice image just to 'relax' in. Nice flowing colours, good composition that lets your eye roam rather than pinning it to an obvious subject. A sort of 'easy viewing' image

Relaxed was how I was feeling at the time I took the picture. It was so peaceful, and then this fisherman showed up in his boat. There was hardly a sound.

I wish that I had tried dropping the viewpoint. There is another picture that I took at the same spot, perhaps I'll post that too.

Thanks,
Fred

[Rob Barron]

I'd be interested to see the other one Fred.

Cheers,
Rob

[fgates]

Thanks for the interest, it is much more conventional.




I am very busy until the end of the the month, so I will only be stopping by for a quick look now and then.
Fred

[_MB_]

There's so much forest around Joensuu I think a great pic would have a good looking birch tree occupying a large part of foreground on one side with the lovely tones of the lakes and that huge Finland sky in the background - both these images I think aren't balanced, need more trees!

[fgates]

Trees make me claustrophobic Not really, but I liked the openness of the place. I was standing on a small sandy beach.

[Rob Barron]

I think if you just crop two inches off the bottom so that the horizon isn't so ventral, this is a lovely shot Fred. It is relaxing, has more dynamic interest and just makes me want to be there

Cheers,
Rob

[fgates]

Originally Posted by Rob Barron

I think if you just crop two inches off the bottom so that the horizon isn't so ventral, this is a lovely shot Fred. It is relaxing, has more dynamic interest and just makes me want to be there

Cheers,
Rob

I did the crop as suggested.

Thanks Rob and all for the comments.