[Markulous]

Took this shot of Penarth Pier a few weeks ago. Rather liked the distortion ('twas 'Boris' my Zenitar M42 16mm fisheye) but not too keen on the enormous splodge of FG concrete decking! Any suggestions?

[Steve]

I think you are being over critical of the foreground, it works for me as the lines lead you into the main section of the picture and despite there being a large amount of foreground there is still texture in it to keep the interest. More distracting for me is the one black spot on the sea in the lft of the picture. Iam sure its a bird or a bouy and visible in the full size version but at this scale it loks like a spot

Overall its a very well taken and processed shot that I would be pleased to have taken myself.

[Markulous]

Thanks, Steve!
And 'tis a buoy - consider it gone!

[Dave]

Agree with Steve, the foreground is spot on,. as is the shot !!

[lolyton]

I'm with Steve and Dave, i don't really mind the foreground, and as of how to get rid of it if you really did want too then again i'm unsure as you can't crop it because that then ruins the line of the railings....the only thing that may work is a slight grad just to darken it off a little at the bottom....But i would leave it, i like it.

Steve mentioned the Bouy, and i notice there is another one just above only white that sticks out a little and may look better cloned out.

You can't really tell it's concrete either at first glace it looks like the more traditional wooden decking.

It's a nicely framed well exposed and processed image!

[Markulous]

Thanks, guys! Like lolyton's idea of gradding the FG slightly.

The buoys I can get rid of - tho' always in two minds, as they are a permanent feature of that view. Guess it depends whether I go for "as it is" or "best image I could come up with"

[nicklovick]

I think you've got is spot om Markulous. The foreground sets the composition of this photo, I would leave it exactly the way it is (apart from removing the buoy)

[Steve]

Originally Posted by Markulous

Thanks, guys! Like lolyton's idea of gradding the FG slightly.

The buoys I can get rid of - tho' always in two minds, as they are a permanent feature of that view. Guess it depends whether I go for "as it is" or "best image I could come up with"

The other thing it depends on is how visible they are in the picture that you are showing. I shoot landscape as my main subjects and regularly have birds in flight or on the water in the shots. They are usually clearly visible in the full size shots (and prints) but when I reduce them for web viewing they become dots. For these shots I tend to clone them out.