Pictures like this can be cropped to get a new feel. But then one takes it away from the total esthetic pattern of that photographer's mind. This causes a loss of identity when one looks at this picture in the presence of its siblings. Who wants that?
I prefer to get an experience of undecipherable identity as when one meets a long lost relative or recognizes a newly discovered picture by
August Sandler. Should someone else have edited that picture, we'd all lose out!
Now I considered the suggestion of cropping when it was mentioned above. Yes it would make the picture have increased immediacy and give more attention to the other boats.
... and that's exactly what would remove the caresses of dark water that allows endless musing. So yes, the crop works well to get attention, but that is short lived and there's no magic left to bring us back time and again.
I'm not claiming that the style here is the hallmark of Rob's work, but at this stage of my learning, I'd just let it all sink in as nothing in the picture say's this is merely a snap. Rather, I'd consider this for selection in a portfolio.
Asher
